The Celestial Lady
by kyleperez
Summary: Follow the adventures of Altmer prodigy Sola Auroron throughout the Three Banners War as she attempts to rebuild relationships she has broken and erase her mistakes. Then, she confronts her destiny, a destiny that holds much more for her than anyone would have thought.


A Compilation of the Written Works Involving the Celestial Lady Magna-Sola

By: Solius Luxen,

Imperial City Library Researcher

4E 455

Table of Contents

Foreword…...4

"The Start of an Adventure"...6

Discussion on "The Start of an Adventure"...22

"To Coldharbour"...24

Discussion on "To Coldharbour"...34

"The Fall of Meridia"...36

Discussion of "The Fall of Meridia"...51

"The Chosen of the Storm"...53

Discussion of "The Chosen of the Storm"...69

"Back to the Family"...71

Discussion of "Back to the Family"...101

"Atop the Tower"...104

Discussion on "Atop the Tower"...211

"One Final Adventure"...220

Discussion on "One Final Adventure"...253

Conclusion…257

Foreword

Due to recent events across Tamriel, it was brought to my attention of the celestial anomaly that was known as Magna-Sola. An event, isolated to the Cloudrest area on Alinor, helped to bring to light a mysterious occurrence that took place on Tamriel during the Second Era, during the Three Banners War.

The emergence of a new written work known as "One Final Adventure" has helped to tie together some of the holes where previously known works have failed to provide insight. What is unusual about this new work is that it picks up far in the future, after the work "Atop the Tower" ends.

This legend of Magna-Sola, as stated earlier, dates back to the Three Banners War. According to written works, she was once an Altmer named Sola Auroron. Before the emergence of "One Final Adventure" a few years ago, the study of Sola Auroron was obscure, and nobody cared about her adventures. In fact, I had barely heard of the novels surrounding her until the incursion at Cloudrest.

As it turns out, Sola Auroron, and by extension Magna-Sola, is a very distant ancestor of mine. How, going back generations paternally, to the Second Era, she is the sister to the mother who started the Luxen family. So, she is a very distant aunt, of a sort.

While I already knew this, the new occurrences that surrounded her brought my interest to her. So I set out to compile any information I could on both Sola Auroron and Magna-Sola. After a search through the Imperial Library, I was able to find copies of the written works that involved her. From there, I set out to explore where she explored, and ask questions about her, and then get answers.

It took several years to finish my journey, but now that it is finished, I can write what I have learned about this mystical Sola Auroron, and her ascension to Magna-Sola. With commentaries, and the obscure writings themselves, I will guide you through the journey, and provide supplemental information that I discovered during my research.

"The Start of an Adventure"

"The Start of an Adventure" is the first writing in the series. It takes place around Cloudrest in the Second Era, right around the start of the Three Banners War. It is difficult to place an exact time on the the setting, due to the Dragon Break that occurred during that time.

We are presented with a quaint, small village where our protagonist is raised, with her sister, and their parents. We see where Sola Auroron got her start in life, and what shaped her into the woman she became.

Some vital information is necessary before reading. So, allow me to state what should be made known. First, the Auroron family, in modern day, is dead. The two sisters in the story were the last heirs, and rather, their legacy lives on in the Luxen family of Cyrodiil. The Aurorons were not a particularly politically active family, or a powerful one in terms of commanding troops, bargaining for favors, or even land owned. However, the Auroron family did possess a strong bloodline, which, in Altmer society, is considered a great asset in marriage. The Auroron family was known to be filled with great mages, and the magically gifted, of which Sola Auroron was certainly the pinnacle of achievement in her family, and perhaps all of Altmer, at the very least on par with the Wilderking and Wilderqueen.

The two sisters were known to be attractive people, so it is likely that they had many battling for their hands in marriage, and yet the two daughters were unmarried. Of course, as it turns out, they were very young, Sola at twenty, and Nerwaye, her sister, at twenty-six. A quick read of "The Start of an Adventure" will let you know that Sola and Nerwaye have had past hills and troughs in their relationship. They often fought, and often loved one another. During this story, the sisters were in a rough point in their sisterhood.

Something else to point out is how in the earliest manuscripts and publishings of the novel, Nerwaye Auroron is not mentioned by name, rather, mentioned more as Sola's sister, or 'the sister'. As it turns out, this detracts from the story, so I have changed the name of the sister to Nerwaye, where deemed necessary. Nerwaye is not meant to be a mysterious character within the written works, and as it turns out, she becomes quite the character, so it is best that we know who she is early.

In addition, I want to touch on the Planemeld. While I will spare the details and let other researchers do that research on the event, I want to make it known that the Planemeld as occurred at this point in time, and that event plays an important role in the story, as goes for the Three Banners War.

In fact, the whole story hints at something that remains mysterious throughout the Planemeld and Three Banners War: the Vestige. The story heavily hints at Sola Auroron being the Vestige, the supposed savior of Nirn during this point in history. The Vestige is considered to be slightly less than the Eternal Champion, Hero of Kvatch, or the Last Dragonborn. Needless to say though, they played an important part in history. However, further discussion of the Vestige will occur later.

Now, allow me to present a polished version of "The Start of an Adventure", edited for clarity and understanding.

"Sola, get down here! It's time to eat!" An Altmer cried.

Sola was also an Altmer, she knew that inevitable call meant that her father was home. Her father was a weapons enchanter for the Aldmeri Dominion, and he made good money, on the other hand, her mother sat around all day, cooking and cleaning. Ten years ago, it may have mattered, but now that Sola was twenty, it was rather unnecessary.

"Mom, what're we having to eat?" Sola asked.

"Moon sugar pork." The mother answered.

"Mom, you know I don't like Khajiiti food!" Sola complained.

"Sola, just eat it." The father said.

"Sola, you haven't even said anything to your sister." The mother said.

Sola's sister, Nerwaye, had been off for the past few years, making magical items in preparation for the Three Banners War. She was, in fact, six years older than her, and Sola felt like she was always babied because of it, not to say she did not enjoy it. After all, Sola's youth got her out of responsibilities, and she never had to make her own food, which was enough for her.

"Hey." Sola said to her sister.

"Sola." Nerwaye said back.

"Okay! That's more than enough! Why do you always have to say Sola?! It makes me sound like an Imperial! It's not enough that I already look like how men do?!" Sola yelled.

Sola surely looked like she had heavy ancestry rooted in men. The biggest signs discounting that were her ears and her eyes, but even then, she looked somewhat like a Breton. A short, blockish head, horizontal eyes, low cheekbones, a recessed chin, a light skin tone, and even a human eye color. If it was not for her large irises, it would probably be thought she was adopted. After all, her ears were hidden behind her hair, and even then, they looked notably less Elven than some ears. All in all, the way she looked often depended on the point-of-view of an onlooker. Sola, however, was pure Altmer, and her lineage could be traced back to the Aldmer, with no other races mixed in.

"It's your name. It came from the Imperial word for the Sun." The mother said.

"I know that! You are all treating me like I'm five. I'm not five, I'm twenty. If you could all just treat me like it." Sola said.

"Sola, so, what were you up to today?" The father asked.

"I studied a bit in the library, then I worked on my new dress, and then did some more woodworking." Sola answered, then taking a sip of the strong ale set in front of her.

"What are you making?" The father asked.

"A staff." Sola answered.

"There's no stopping you I guess." Nerwaye laughed.

Sola was very magically gifted. Far more than most Altmer. Sola had often gotten in trouble for using her magic. Most people used staves at her age, but Sola had abandoned it in favor of using all of her body for magic. She was known for blowing fire out of her mouth, and shocking people with her hands. Still, Sola prefered to keep a staff nearby.

"Do you need any soul gems filled? Because I can pay for them to get filled." The father asked.

"No, but thank you." Sola answered.

Sola was being choked by her parents. Twenty years old, and fully mature, and she was being treated like a child. For the longest time, she was longing to get out and have some adventures, maybe even meet a nice Altmer to settle down with, or at least have fun with. For years, her only escapes had been immersing herself in books, and wandering around town, the closest she ever got to adventuring.

"Sola, I know you're smart, so I was wondering if you could learn how to cook. I know that the last time you tried you got burned, but that was years ago. Maybe you could give it a try." The mother said.

"You will have a much easier time finding a partner with it." Nerwaye added.

"I'll find one without knowing how to cook." Sola said.

"Sola, please, just help your mother." The father said.

"She's seventy five! She's perfectly able!" Sola complained.

"Okay, look! Can we just eat in silence?!" Nerwaye finally yelled.

"Fine." Sola said, feebly nibbling at the pork.

A slow meal passed on by. Sola barely managed to survive it. After the pork, they all ate a banana and cleaned up and sat down to enjoy the rest of the night. Sola went back up to her room to go read some more books and to do some more personal thinking.

"I've read all these books a thousand times." Sola said, staring at the large pile of tomes stacked up against a wall.

Sola looked around, and she put a wooden wedge into her door, keeping it shut. She went over into her chest stored under her bed, and pulled out two wooden statues. One of the Daedric Prince Meridia, and the other of Azura. Sola kept checking around her room, making sure nobody was there, and she set the two idols on her table and knelt by them.

"Azura, please guide me. I've had my patience run out. I can't do this anymore. If I can just please get a way out of my house and go on an adventure. I just can't take this situation. I hate how I have had to hide my faith from you for the past four years, and I've had to live that in lie that I spend all this time praying to you as me reading the same books over and over. I'm sorry for that. So, Azura, please just send me on an adventure and let me get away from my family." Sola prayed.

"And, Meridia, I'm sorry I don't have much to say today, but when I go on my adventure, please send Dawnbreaker to protect me from the unholy undead." Sola prayed.

"Okay. Now, Auri-El, if you could just...I don't even know why I pray to you anymore...well, just give me the patience until I can leave here." Sola prayed.

Sola has had to hide her Daedra worship for some time. She knew that nobody would approve of it, even though she was completely innocent. She never worshiped any of the malevolent Princes, but only liked Meridia and Azura. She knew that there were people who worshiped Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon, and they could get into dark things like sacrificing people, and Sola would never get into that.

Sola finished her prayers, sat up, and grabbed her sewing kit and her dress she was making. Once she finished it, she would be able to go into town and dye it to her favorite colors. This dress was different; she had sold quite a few staves to get money to buy the materials for it. It was not meant to be an everyday dress to wear about, but it was padded and was meant to be armor. Stitch after stitch, she sewed. It got too hot in her room, and she opened her window, and kept on sewing. Then, an hour later, there was a wolf outside, barking and howling endlessly. For an hour, Sola put up with it. A whole hour. Finally, when it would not give up, Sola stuck her hand out the window, and unleashed a powerful shock spell, killing the wolf. The smell of burned hair and flesh started to fill the air. Sola kept on with her sewing, but then there was a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" Sola asked, annoyed that she could not be left to herself, putting down her dress-in-progress.

"Your father. We need to talk about this wolf you killed just now." The father said.

"Yes Daddy, I'll open the door." Sola said, taking out the door jam and opening the door.

In that moment, Sola realized her mistake. She always liked to sew while having view of the little carvings of Meridia and Azura, and she had left them out as normal. She was so used to putting them out after dinner, and then putting them back in after she woke up the next morning. It had just slipped her mind.

"I've told you several times that the only time you use your magic in the city to kill is when a wolf is attacking livestock. I want you to go out, write a note apologizing, and put it on the notice board." The father said.

"Yes, Daddy." Sola said, trying to get her father out as quickly as possible.

"Wait, I never knew you carved little statues for the gods. Had I known, I would have had you make one for me." The father said.

"Yes Daddy, I have two so far." Sola said, trying to put them away in her backpack before he picked up on who they were.

"Let me see them." The father said, grabbing the two statues.

"These are...these are...Sola Aldmeris Auroron! These are of Daedra!" The father yelled after his realization.

"Keep it down. It is Meridia and Azura, nobody bad." Sola said.

"Daedra are Daedra. They are all evil." The father said.

"You know, some people think that those two were once Aedra." Sola said.

"They're evil. Sola, I have to tell this to the city and your mother." The father said.

"Look here, those two Princes listen to me as much as...no, even more than Auri-El and the rest of the divines ever do. They show their presence on Nirn, and I will not stand for me being reported for Daedra worship. I would allow it if I was sacrificing people to them, but I'm not." Sola said.

"What makes me think you aren't going out in the middle of the night and doing that?!" The father asked.

"Fine? You want souls? Here, I'll give you back the only souls I've used!" Sola yelled, tossing her soul gems back at her father.

"Sola, and what if they found out?" The father asked.

"We are going down to see your mother right now." The father said, grabbing hold of Sola's arm and dragging her down the stairs.

"Daddy, please." Sola said.

"What is it?" The mother asked.

"Our daughter is a Daedra worshiper!" The father yelled.

"It's only Azura and Meridia! They're not a bunch of murderers! I will remember this the next time you pray to Magnus! He designed all of this once Lorkhan gave the idea! He then didn't even stay to pay for his mistakes like our ancestors!" Sola said.

"Sola...I would have never guessed. This is an evil practice." The mother said.

"Well, then what do you want me to do?" Sola asked.

"There is only one way to handle this. You need to be brought to justice." The father said.

"I never thought I'd have to say that to my own daughter." The father added.

"I will give you two options, either in the morning you turn yourself in, or we will turn you in. Pick your choice." The father said.

"I will tell you in the morning." Sola snapped.

"You're sending me to death for Daedra worship, and I won't deny that, but I'm not doing anything wrong." Sola said, walking back up the stairs.

Sola quickly went into her room and shut and jammed the door so she wouldn't have to hear her parents cry about how their daughter was probably going to be executed. Sola probably would have cared about their tears a few years ago, but she had just become too hard-hearted and unfeeling. Sola made the quick decision that she was not going to die from what she saw as perfectly fine. She grabbed her backpack, her sewing kit, her woodworking tools, and some clothes and packed her backpack up. She grabbed her coinpurse, and then grabbed two staves. Before she thought about how to leave, she looked upon the statues of Meridia and Azura, and Sola shoved them into her backpack, as they were her most treasured possessions.

"Those stupid mudcrabs." Sola said.

"I have a window." Sola continued, opening her window.

"Let's see here…" Sola said, looking out into the darkness ahead.

Sola sat out on the window sill, and slowly hung herself down. She then dropped when she was only hanging on by her hands. Still, it was a bit of a fall, but not much. Sola then took off to the tavern, where she figured she would see the people of the town one last time.

Sola walked into the tavern, and immediately she got some mixed looks. She was physically attractive with no doubt, but that was not what people were looking at. There were the people she had known for her whole life, and they were happy to see her, but there were also the strangers, adventurers who were having a drink.

"Hey, no mixed-bloods here." A Bosmer adventurer said, coming up to Sola the instant she walked in.

"I'm pure Altmer. Go sit your short self down." Sola said.

"She's lying. She's Breton. She's from the Covenant!" The Bosmer said.

"She's Altmer. Pure Altmer. She's lived here all her life." The barkeep said.

"Thank you." Sola said.

"Hey, by the way, take that Redguard filth out of here then." Sola said to the Bosmer, who had a Redguard companion.

"Sola, you've never been here this late." The barkeep, a male Altmer said.

"I know." Sola said.

"Sola? What are you? An Imperial?" The Bosmer teased.

"Just leave her alone. We finally find a bar that lets me in and you go about trying to start fights." The Redguard said.

"Thank you. You know, people like you I have respect for." Sola said.

"So, do you need anything?" The barkeep asked.

"Yeah, my mom made Khajiiti food tonight. Barely ate anything…" Sola started to say.

"Hey, you're here. Good to see you." Sola said, sitting down next to her best friend.

Her best friend was a male Khajiit. He was brought over from Elsweyr as a kitten and raised by an Altmer family. He had no discernable Khajiit accent and he spoke as clearly as any Altmer. His name was Oldon, and he and Sola had been raised closely, so they knew each other very well.

"We'll share a loaf of bread, some butter, and some fresh jam." Sola said.

"Right away, anything to drink?" The barkeep asked.

"Yeah. Got any Sujamma?" Sola asked.

"The last of it. Won't be any more until the war's over." The barkeep answered.

"How much am I in the hole?" Sola asked.

"Twenty gold." The barkeep answered.

"Here you go." Sola said, taking out some gold and paying.

"So, what are you doing here?" Oldon asked.

"Just getting out." Sola answered.

"I thought your parents never allowed you out." Oldon said.

"They didn't." Sola said.

"Look, I've told you a lot. So, I'll let you in. I'm taking off finally. I'm leaving for good." Sola said.

"I can tell by all of your things." Oldon said.

"Yep. I'm going adventuring finally." Sola said.

"Here we go, you two." The barkeep said, setting down the food and drink.

"I like my bread toasted." Oldon said.

"I have it handled." Sola said, slicing the bread and quickly toasting it with fire magic.

"We used to eat this as kids all the time." Sola said, eating the food.

"Yes. Those were the days." Oldon said.

The local bard started to play. An Altmer, and he started to play the songs that he always did.

"By the gods, he always plays the same things over and over." Sola said.

"I know music better than him." Sola added.

"So, you said you were finally leaving. I guess there are a few things I should tell you." Oldon said, the loaf of bread being finished.

"Lay it on me." Sola said, taking a drink.

"Well, I've had to hide this for the past few years...but I've had a bit of a liking to you." Oldon said.

Sola choked on her drink. The instant she heard those words, she could not help but choke. It is not as if she did not know. She had always known, but she never actually heard those words come out of his mouth. Sola decided to just play along.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Oldon said, seeing Sola spasm for a few seconds.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Sola said, continuing to drink.

"I just wanted to let you know." Oldon said.

"Look, you've been a good friend, but honestly, you're a Khajiit. I know you've been raised along us Altmer for the whole of your life, and I know I'm appealing, but no. Just no. You should find someone who's willing to stay at home, and can cook." Sola said.

"That's exactly why I never told you." Oldon said.

"Anyways, I'm leaving because my parents think I sacrifice to Daedra." Sola said, before there was an awkward silence.

"I mean Khajiit and Dunmer both worship Daedra, and I don't see why I can't." Sola said.

"Other races too…" Sola added.

"So, that's why I'm leaving. I'm not coming back." Sola said.

"I don't want to die for this." Sola continued, finishing her drink.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you. I'll see you later maybe." Sola said, getting up.

"Bye." Sola said, leaving the tavern.

"Well, this is it. We'll see how far I can go." Sola said.

"Azura give me strength." Sola said.

And she started out to go explore and see what would lie ahead in her life. She started exploring locally. It was rather boring; the caves were empty and there was nothing to sate her appetite for adventure. And even less to sate her appetite for food. Sola could make a fire perfectly, with the help of fire magic, and kill perfectly, but when it came to cooking, Sola could make nothing. She subsisted mostly on finding mudcrabs by ponds and pounding them with flames until they died, and Sola would go and cool it off a bit, then crack them open and eat. Other than that, the wild berries and occasional fruit tree made for enough food. Still, Sola was unable to find her big adventure.

Eventually, a week after she left her home, she found a cave. It was like the other caves she had been in, but Sola was picking up on some magical energy, after all, her natural talent with magic had some benefits other than just picking magic up easily, but being able to sense it. Sola walked down the dark cave, with a flame lit in her hand for some meager light. The cold water dripped into pools below, and the whole cave had an ominous cold feeling. Sola ventured on though, convinced that there had to be something in this cave. At least a bear or something to kill. Sola eventually saw light. She quickly put out her fire magic and sneaked closer, and then she looked at what was going on. There were people of all kind, dressed in plain black robes, kneeling down and praying to a shrine of some sort. Sola knew what this was instantly: Daedra worship. Thankfully, Sola knew a bit about Daedra and felt comfortable in her ability to handle the situation, and maybe even meet one of them. Sola walked into the room that had the people stuck in a trance.

"Hey there." Sola said, waving her hand to the worshiping cultists.

An armored finger tapped on her shoulder, and Sola looked back. It was a greatsword-wielding feminine Dremora. It gave Sola a stare so deep that the message that she was not allowed in here was quickly conveyed. Sola, however, did not care. She wanted to meet this Dremora.

"Hey there." Sola greeted warmly, even though she was still cautious.

Sola then took hold of the Dremora's hand and initiated a handshake.

"Let go of me, mortal." The Dremora said.

"Can I ask, who's your master?" Sola asked.

"None of your concern, mortal." The Dremora answered.

"I guess it's fine if you don't answer me." Sola said.

"Who's your master?" Sola asked the worshipers.

"Don't tell them." The Dremora ordered.

"Okay, then I'll just have to get it out of you. It sucks, I thought maybe we could be friends." Sola said.

Sola knew she was in a bad situation now. She put down her backpack and dug through it, pulling out a book. She took out the book, put her backpack back on, and flipped through the pages.

"Okay, Dremora, say thy name of thy master, lest I smite thee." Sola said, even though the book said nothing like that.

"I'd like to see you try that." The Dremora said, pulling out her sword.

Sola threw the book at the Dremora, catching her off guard. Sola then used shock magic to stun the Dremora. After that, Sola reveled in her victory, letting out a hearty laugh while the Dremora lay groaning.

"I got you on that one." Sola laughed.

"I will not be bested by a mortal." The Dremora said, getting up.

"Attack, my minions!" The Dremora ordered.

A portal opened up, and a single scamp came crawling out; it looked confused and it just walked around aimlessly.

"Attack, I said!" The Dremora ordered again.

"I'm trying to think of a good word." Sola said.

"Got it." Sola added a second later.

"Talos' trousers, girl, it's a scamp." Sola said.

"Hey, Scampy." Sola said.

The scamp turned its attention to Sola.

"Get out of here before I send you back to Oblivion." Sola threatened.

The scamp quickly climbed on top of the shrine being worshiped and hid up there.

"You're not really high ranking, are you?" Sola asked.

"Shut up." The Dremora said hostilely.

"Gods, so rude." Sola said.

"Care to tell me your master now?" Sola asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"Molag Bal." The Dremora answered quickly.

"Oh...I wasn't actually expecting an answer." Sola said.

"Oh...Molag Bal…" Sola said.

"I'm more of an Azura girl myself. And Meridia." Sola added.

"I have orders to imprison you." The Dremora said with finality.

Sola gave a look to the Dremora before Sola quickly pushed the Dremora and grabbed one of her staves.

"Don't think I won't use this." Sola said, the Dremora readying her sword.

The Dremora swung, and Sola nimbly ducked, avoiding the strike. Then, Sola swung her magic staff right into the Dremora's temple, stunning her.

"Were you expecting magic?" Sola added.

The Dremora readied her sword again, and Sola just let a burst of flame from her staff, sending the Daedra back to Oblivion. Sola laughed in her easy victory. She then looked around her, and the cultists were still knelt over, praying. Sola started for her way out, and then, something grabbed her by the neck. A fully armored masculine Dremora, carrying a scamp, picked up Sola by her waist and started for a waiting portal.

"Let go of me!" Sola said, struggling.

"Quiet." The Dremora ordered.

"You are going to prison in Coldharbour, mortal. Any last words to your last glimpse of Mundus?" The Dremora asked.

"Yeah. I have two little statues of Azura and Meridia. I'm sure you've heard of them. Can I take them?" Sola asked, hoping for the best.

"No." The Dremora coldly answered.

"Fine." Sola said.

"Run." Sola ordered the scamp.

The little scamp started to struggle to free itself. Similarly, Sola struggled, and the Dremora was forced to make a decision. He figured that a wild scamp might cause less trouble, but he was shocked by a lightning spell, and he let go of the both of them in an involuntary action. Sola then quickly got up, pulled the helmet off of the Dremora, and ran over to a deep ravine close to the room, with a pool of water very far below.

"Let me take these statues." Sola ordered.

"No." The Dremora said.

Sola threw the helmet down the ravine with zero hesitation.

"You're a real brat." The Dremora said.

"Fine, take your stupid statues." The Dremora said.

"And…" Sola said.

"Take your backpack." The Dremora said.

"Don't think I won't burn you to death." Sola threatened.

"Do it." The Dremora said.

"I want to take my statues, I want to be fed very well, I want access to books and tomes, I want to keep my clothes on, I want a really cool Daedric-style backpack, I want to be able to visit the mortal realm, I want…" Sola started to say.

"You are in no position to make demands. In an instant, I can call on my minions to take you." The Dremora interrupted.

Sola quickly picked up the fleeing scamp and held him over the same area where she threw the helmet.

"Go, fine. I'll let you go if you don't throw him!" The Dremora said.

"I'm fine going to Oblivion, and it sounds like I'm a prisoner, but I don't want to be held prisoner." Sola said.

"That is not happening." The Dremora said.

"Then bye bye little Scampy." Sola said.

"I can't do that! I will see to it that your...wishes are met." The Dremora bargained.

"Wishes? Say that again with demands in it." Sola said.

"I...will see to it that your...wish...demands...are met." The Dremora said.

"Okay, let's go." Sola said, still dropping the Scamp down the ravine.

"This'll be fun." Sola said.

"You're going to betray me though, I know that, but I can take you out easily. I'll grab a few things and leave though." Sola said.

"You're the warden though. You have keys. I won't break out if you give into my demands." Sola said, making a good observation.

"Losing two soldiers and my helmet already does not look good. I will do whatever you want. For all intents and purposes...you have bound me." The warden said.

"Nice." Sola said.

"You're a very feisty Breton." The warden said.

"I swear...I'm an Altmer! You owe me more!" Sola said.

"Sorry, sorry." The warden said.

Sola walked through the portal, the warden following closely behind. The warden followed Sola as she walked about the prison of Coldharbour, and several times he had to stop her from touching and taking things. She looked with amazement with the Daedric architecture and the utter destruction that lay around. Eventually, it got to the point where this Dremora could no longer let Sola just walk around, so he started to prod her to her new cell.

"Here is your new home." The warden said rather ominously.

"Cool, thanks." Sola said, walking in and looking around.

Sola looked at the minimalism. The lack of even a straw pile for a bed, the hole in the ground meant for sanitary purposes, and the walking room. It was a rather large cell still.

"This isn't going to work." Sola said.

"There are no better cells. There are also no worse cells." The warden said.

"At home, I slept on a premium bed filled with straw, on a bed frame, with a pillow stuffed with feathers. I don't even have a mat. I want a proper bed roll." Sola ordered.

"What?!" The warden exclaimed.

"You're bound to me, and if you don't do what I say, I'll burn you." Sola looking at the warden in the eyes through the little viewing window.

"You're in Oblivion now. You have no authority." The warden laughed.

Sola let go a gauntlet of fire, consuming the warden. Sola then sat by the door of her cell for two hours, meditating on her magical abilities. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"I got your cursed bed roll." The warden said.

The door opened, and the warden stood there again, with a helmet, and with a bedroll in one hand. He threw the bed roll to Sola, who promptly laid it out and sat on it.

"Do not ask where I got this from." The warden said.

"You got your helmet back." Sola said.

"My armor is bound to me. It is part of me. It came back when I reformed." The warden explained.

"Now, do not question me." Sola said.

"Yes. I will be back with your food." The warden said.

Sola would enjoy this. She was essentially sharing ownership of this Dremora with Molag Bal, and she had a nice, soft bed roll, and hot food would be on the way. For thirty minutes, she continued to meditate on her magic, until she got her old stuff back. The warden came knocking, and he set down Sola's backpack, and a plate of gelatinous, grey goop.

"What in Oblivion is this?" Sola asked.

"Raided farms surprise." The warden answered.

"That's not going to work." Sola said.

"I'm in the mood for...uh...potato-onion soup, a side of biscuits and jam, um...oh, some Nord mead, and to finish it off, a sweet roll." Sola said.

"Sweet roll?!" The warden asked, frustrated.

"Now, go fetch me that unless you want to know why I'm your master...again." Sola said, pushing the goop back under the slit in the door.

"Mortals." The warden said, walking off.

"Let's see what we have here." Sola said, opening up her backpack and digging through it.

Sola took out her book she had brought, the same she had thrown at that other Dremora, her change of clothes, her two statues, her small woodworking tools, her sewing kit, and her dress she was still working on, along with a fresh pair of shoes, and a brush for her hair. Sola set out her statues on the floor next to her bed, and she polished them with the oil in her woodworking kit. The warden came by an hour later, with a massive serving of all the food she had asked for.

"This mead have a lot of honey in it?" Sola asked before she accepted it.

The warden just walked off before he heard any more comments and critiques.

Sola thanked Azura and Meridia for her food, then she quickly gobbled down the soup and biscuits, and then grabbed a spoon she had to eat the jam. She then got a little bit of moon sugar from a little pouch in her backpack, and mixed it with the butter she was ever so generously given, and she made a quick little batch of extra frosting. She then had her extra-frosted sweet roll, leaving a bit for later. She then drank half of the mead, the ice-cold mead, and left the rest in the cup, knowing she could easily cool it down. At that moment, Sola realized what she had an urge to do.

"Get over here!" Sola yelled, banging on the door, and even throwing fire spells out.

"What? What?" The warden asked, rushing over.

"I need to use the outhouse." Sola answered.

"There is a little hole in the ground for that." The warden explained.

"I want a stool for me." Sola said.

"...why must you do this? Fine. I will be back." The warden said, running off.

Sola got what she wanted. She then relieved herself and then fell asleep, tired from the long day. In the morning, she woke up to the sound of her little food grate being opened. Sola looked at it excitedly, but it was nothing other than a pile of goop.

"Hey, hey, get over here!" Sola yelled out, rushing out of bed.

"What is it, mortal?" An unfamiliar Dremora asked.

"Get the warden over here right now." Sola ordered.

"Why would I do that?" The Dremora asked.

Sola let out a freezing frost spell, sending the Dremora running slowly for the warden.

"What do you want?" The warden asked, arriving right after the other Dremora left.

"I'd like two extra large sweet rolls with extra frosting, and a brew of hot coffee." Sola answered.

The warden muttered, walking off.

Sola let out a happy, cute smile.

"Hey, who are you?" A Nord prisoner across from her asked.

"Sola Auroron." Sola answered.

"How did you get that Daedra to follow your orders?" The Nord asked.

"Oh, I essentially bound him. I threatened him with magic, and even killed him." Sola answered.

The Nord grew silent with disappointment.

"Here you go." The warden said, bringing back the food a few minutes later.

"Great." Sola said, chowing down instantly.

"You have work in a few moments." The warden said.

"Forced labor? What am I doing?" Sola asked.

"Mining ore to produce weapons." The warden asked, letting a laugh.

"What? So you can invade through the Imperial City? No way. I'm not working." Sola said.

"Molag Bal's orders. Even you can't transcend the orders of him." The warden said.

"Fine. Put me to work, but then I guess I'll have to just kill you again." Sola said, crossing her arms and frowning.

"Molag Bal will do worse." The warden said.

"Molag Bal isn't going to escape if you don't give her what she wants." Sola said.

"You still have to work." The warden said.

"Do you have a library here?" Sola asked.

"Of course." The warden answered.

"I can...catalogue books there." Sola said, coming up with a quick solution.

"No. It is the mines, and…" The warden said.

"No, no, no. Don't say that to me. I'm going to read in the library unless you want to end up having an escaped prisoner." Sola said.

Sola was in the library a short time later, looking at all the books collected across all of Nirn and the planes of Oblivion, and with Daedric scholars researching for future endeavours. The warden tried to discretely put Sola at a desk with several books covering her, but a Dremora scholar saw this.

"Warden, what are you doing?" The scholar asked.

"Mortals out of their cells?" The scholar added.

"You say anything and you're going to end up dead!" The warden threatened.

"Yes, warden." The scholar said, running to the other side of the library to continue his research in peace.

A good sixteen hours later, Sola was back in her cell, eating another hearty meal, and reading more books. Then, the warden opened the cell and stood there with mage Dremora and a sinister device.

"Molag Bal, through his servant Mannimarco, orders that we take the souls of all mortals." The warden said.

"My soul? No, that stays with me." Sola said.

"There is absolutely no way around this." The warden said with finality.

"You will become soul-shriven. You will be the same, just without the soul." The warden said.

The magus Dremora cast a spell on Sola while she momentarily remained off guard, and then quickly used his power to transfer the soul into a handy soul gem, which he took and stowed in a pouch.

"You seriously did that?" Sola asked, very angry.

"I had to." The warden said.

"Now I want your soul!" Sola ordered.

"What? Fine." The warden said.

"Do what she orders." The warden told the mage.

"Why?" The mage asked.

"That was a soul trap? I can do that." Sola said, using a quick spell on the warden.

"No, that just readies the soul." Sola said.

"Close enough I suppose." Sola said.

Sola unleashed a barrage of flames onto the warden, and he quickly disappeared, and his soul was sucked into an empty soul gem, and Sola quickly took the filled gem from the mage Dremora.

"Mine." Sola said.

"Now, I want yours so you won't tell." Sola said.

Sola quickly soul-trapped and burned the Dremora, and took her, the warden's, and the mage's soul gems. The warden came over a moment later, and took Sola's and Sola took his.

"Now we have the mage's." Sola said.

The mage walked back in a moment later, in shock.

"I want it." Sola said.

"No, I need it." The warden said.

"No." Sola said.

"Just stop this." The warden said.

"You took my soul. Mine's got to be worth at least two." Sola said.

They picked up the gem and started to pull on it, and in that moment, it slipped from both of them and miraculously fell into the hole that led to the nothingness below the prison. The mage watched with fear, and then, in a moment, he collapsed and was completely dead.

"By Meridia!" Sola exclaimed, quickly grabbing her Meridia statue and pressing it against the forehead of the dead Dremora.

"He's gone. Forever." The warden said.

"We need to dispose of him." Sola said.

"Okay, so I'll shock him into ashes, and you shovel it into my little latrine." Sola said, shocking the dead mage into ashes.

"Okay, gone." The warden said, shoving the ashes into the hole.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't be your servant. I need to serve my only master." The warden said after a moment of silence.

"What? I have your soul." Sola threatened.

"I have yours." The warden said.

"Nothing we can do then. An impasse." Sola said.

"Break out if you want. I won't stop you." The warden said, leaving and closing the door.

"I will." Sola said.

"I will." Sola repeated.

"Warden, we have a breakout in progress!" A Dremora yelled, running across the halls.

"Just my luck." Sola laughed.

Discussion on "The Start of an Adventure"

The story starts off, assuming we know nothing about the people the plot circles around. In the original transcripts, Sola and Oldon, the Khajiit, are the only two named, out of the four main characters introduced. Due to the fact that Nerwaye occurs much more frequently, I have taken the time to change her title from 'the sister' or 'Sola's sister' to Nerwaye. The reason that I did not do this for the Dremora warden is because at this point in time, he is supposed to be unfamiliar with us, and to Sola.

Starting out, we already see that Sola is a talented mage and craftswoman. Making magical staves and clothes, she makes her own weapons. This is just the start of her unique, pieced together style of magic we see later. Even when she fights, she does fight strangely, often times using her staff as a melee weapon, and while the use of magical staves is not common anymore, staves were an integral part of a mage's magic back then. Of course, we see Sola's ability to use magic without the medium of a staff.

We already see a conflict between her and her parents. While we do not know the exact strength of their relationship before this story occurs, it is safe to say, by context clues, that their relationship was not strong, and Sola, with her strong will, obviously did not like her parents' attempts to control her.

Just as today Daedra worship is looked down upon in the Summerset Isles, it was looked down upon in the Second Era's Aldmeri Dominion. Sola even specifically leaves her home in search of adventure, and to escape death. She leaves it all behind.

This story is really just her origin, building her into the person she eventually becomes. We see but one possible reference to her eventual ascension. Perhaps you, the reader, did not catch it. I would ask you to comb over the legend again, but perhaps that would take too long. So, I will put it out there for you, Sola invokes the name of Talos. Today we would not think of it, other than the fact it is an Altmer using Talos' name. This is because Talos achieved Chim, and became the successor to Lorkhan in 3E 38, after Tiber Septim's death. "The Start of an Adventure" takes place during the Second Era, before Tiber Septim's conquest even starts. I figured there was some mistranslation of some kind, so I did more research in the Imperial City Library, and from there, had a stay in Alinor, where I was given access to manuscripts that were written before Tiber Septim's rise to glory. Every single one had the word 'Talos'' written there.

Today, it is heavily suggested by recent events that Sola Auroron ended up ascending to an immortal state, and now she is known as Magna-Sola. While we see no signs of Magna-Sola here, there certainly is something going on with this apocryphal quote. I attempted to find any research on this clear paradox. As it turns out, there were no essays or papers that had been written on this topic. So, now I must present my theory, which the final chapter in the saga of Sola's story gives some kind of evidence: Sola Auroron was predestined. She was destined to become Magna-Sola, and that celestial connection unlocked knowledge that was not bound by time itself. And while it may not seem that way where "The Start of an Adventure" ended, the idea gains more traction, where we see Sola's magical fortitude exponentiate and grow unbounded.

"To Coldharbour"

The second chapter of the story, "To Coldharbour", takes place a year or two after Sola leaves home. This part is known better than "The Start of an Adventure". Of course, not as popular among readers, but more popular among scholars. This is because the original manuscript does not exist in any finite, quantifiable form. It exists within a famed Black Book of Hermaeus Mora, a Daedric Prince. A good way to think of a Black Book is the opposite of an Elder Scroll. Sharing many of the same properties. Of course, that turns out to be an inaccurate description due to the illogical nature of Elder Scrolls; Black Books are much more predictable, but it is a good approximation.

The book actually starts continuing not off of "The Start of an Adventure", but rather off of a series of letters which Sola Auroron wrote. While the letters she received, as stated in "To Coldharbour" no longer exist on Tamriel, the letters she sent are still very much in existence. Thankfully, these letters did have significance among scholars across Tamriel, so they were preserved. However, due to the many wars, and simply the passage of time, many of the letters have been destroyed. But, there were enough copies and remaining letters to piece together a backstory. Hunting down these letters were rather difficult. It involved venturing to Alinor, Orsinium, and Stormhold. Thankfully, many of the letters were also kept in the Imperial City, which saved quite a bit of time in research.

So, allow me to set down the backstory. Sola was in a fight with her sister, Nerwaye. Sola has improved on her magic plenty since the two sisters last met. When they get in an argument that escalates into a mage-like showdown, Sola unleashes powerful Daedric and Vampiric spells which siphon out part of Nerwaye's soul. That is where "To Coldharbour" picks up, with Sola's adventure to recover what she took from Nerwaye.

Here, we already start to see some of Sola's shift from innocence to raw power. In addition, we see her starting to become less and less afraid of Daedra, especially powerful ones.

The original Black Book manuscript was last known to be in a library in Alinor before Tiber Septim's conquest of Summerset Isle. After his conquest, and Magna-Sola's subsequent disappearance for a thousand years, the Black Book was lost, but copied manuscripts remain.

Allow me to present the story now.

"You better be ready to go. I am not here to wait all day." The Dremora warden said.

In the jungles of Valenwood, Sola stood ready to enter the portal, with her Dremora acquaintance she had met when she left Coldharbour after losing her soul. Sola stood unready, a tear-misted letter with crumples in it. Sola handed off the letter to the waiting courier, who was obviously afraid after seeing a Dremora exit out of a portal. Sola handed off the letter and paid the fee for delivery. Sola then wiped off her tears, and picked up her ever handy backpack, and looked at the contents, to make sure they were there. Her two statues of Azura and Meridia. A week's supply of food, mostly in the form of salted pork. A single black soul gem. A bed roll. A change of clothes. An extra pair of shoes. An empty flask of Sujamma. She was as ready as she ever was going to be.

"Come on. Let's just get this over with." Sola said.

"Hold up. Something is wrong. When you summoned me, you said you wanted to go to Coldharbour. I can take you there, but I want to know what is going on." The warden said.

"You know I am a very powerful mage. I have been learning spells recently, and one of them I stumbled onto in a library in Cyrodiil was an apocryphal Drain Life spell. I do not know if it is from Hermaeus Mora's realm, or Molag Bal's but it has to be one of those two." Sola said.

"I have a sister. I left her with the rest of my family. You don't need to know the whole story, but she serves in the military like me. When I found her in Cyrodiil, she attacked me and I defended myself. I drained away a hundred years of her life." Sola added.

"Nothing unusual." The warden said.

"If I do not get those years back, then I will take away her having a family, her having a normal life. I do not want to take all that from her." Sola said, starting to cry a bit.

"Quit your crying, mortal." The warden said.

"When I broke out, I journeyed around for a bit, then went to fight in Cyrodiil." Sola said.

"Was your spell a vampiric spell, or just a general spell?" The warden asked.

"It was both. It has vampiric properties. It is the same spell that vampires are gifted with." Sola answered.

"Then we look in both realms. I can get us to Coldharbour, not Apocrypha." The warden said.

"I know how to get to Apocrypha. I need a Black Book, but I need to find one. I thought I saw one in the library in Coldharbour." Sola said.

"Those...those have a mind of their own." The warden warned.

"Come on, we're just wasting time." Sola said, walking to the portal.

"Then we should go." The warden said.

They went through the portal, and the dark, cold expanse of Coldharbour was laid out. Just as Sola remembered it, it was cold, uncomfortable, and sucked the energy out of oneself. She just had to do this to make things right, or at least try to. Make herself feel less guilty. They had to move quickly. The other Dremora gave the strangest looks. They made their way to the library at the prison, and then Sola looked quickly and with haste through the Daedric tomes, looking upon the Daedric symbols and reading them quickly.

"I need to find a way to get back out of here just in case." Sola said, grabbing a certain book.

"So, here we have it. A book explaining Dremora mages on how to summon to Mundus unbound." Sola said, taking the book and shoving it in her bag.

"That is for Daedra only." The warden added.

"Look, I know an alteration spell for detecting life. That does not detect Daedra normally. I made it work to detect them. I can do the same for this." Sola said.

"Now, the Black Book. Where is it?" Sola asked.

"You would have to kill mages to get to it. You need to find one on Mundus." The warden said.

"That is not an option. This has been killing me. Me doing this to my sister...I just want to get it over with. I have killed Daedra before, and I will do it again." Sola said.

"Now, where is a book that is specific only to this realm?" Sola asked, pulling out a random book.

"What do you need it for?" The warden asked.

"Offer it to Hermaeus Mora as a way to get out of Apocrypha once I get what I need." Sola answered.

"There is no book like that. He has all of the knowledge he would ever need and want." The warden said.

" _On the Topics of Mortal Anatomy_. This will have to do." Sola said.

"Okay. Where was the Black Book?" Sola asked, stuffing the other book in her bag also.

"Down the hall, guarded by four mages." The warden answered.

"Well, thank you for taking me this far. I do not want to get you killed. Take your leave. Again, thank you for this chance." Sola said, facing away from the warden.

"I am not going to let you do this. You bound me that one day, and until Molag Bal gives me orders to stand down, I will not stand down." The warden said.

"Then come on. Just distract them and I can sneak in there." Sola said.

The warden walked down to where the four mages guarded the door to the Black Book. The tall, intimidating warden stood there for a moment, Sola hiding right behind him.

"Fight each other you fools! You have stood here for too long! I want to see that your combat skills are still able to be tapped into!" The warden ordered.

"Warden, that is a stupid order. I will not follow it." One of the four Dremora mages said.

The other three agreed.

"Do it right now or I will kill all four of you." The warden said.

The four mages followed. After all, the warden was in charge of them. They grunted and then stood up and readied their staves and started to get involved in a melee brawl. They knew the drill, after all, the warden made it a habit of testing the strength of his underlings. Sola crept out from behind the warden and slowly made her way around the room, going undetected, right up to the door, before she was finally spotted.

"A mortal!" One of the mages yelled.

"Run!" The warden yelled, pulling out his greatsword and readying it.

"We fight together." Sola said, unleashing a gauntlet of fire onto the mages.

Sola let out fire, while the warden cut down those who were not burned. However, the warden was in the middle of the flames, and he had been badly injured by both the mages and Sola. He wanted to keep up his image of toughness, but he could not for much longer, before he succumbed to his wounds and possibly unable to return.

"Go on. But we are even." The warden said, unable to move from his wounds.

Sola crouched down by the warden, and looked at his fully armored self, glowing a slight red from the heat. Sola quickly thought of a solution. She sprayed him with a frost spell, helping to cool down the armor. Sola then took off the helmet of the warden, revealing his face of pain and agony.

"Just leave me to die." The warden said.

"Quit overreacting. I serve as a healer. This is nothing. Daedric physiology is similar to mortal physiology." Sola said, casting a healing spell.

The warden was revitalized in both strength and spirit. He stood back up, intimidating as ever, put back on his helmet, readied his sword, and opened the door to the Black Book waiting to be read.

"I will stand guard. You go to Apocrypha and do what you need to. I will wait here." The warden said.

"You don't have to." Sola said.

"I am bound to do your will! And unless your will is not to get out of here alive, then I will guard you!" The warden yelled.

"Fine. It will hopefully not take me long." Sola said.

Sola opened the door, and there the Black Book lay, down a hall, on a lectern, closed. Sola walked down the dark hall, with light only on the book. Sola looked at the tome. It was obviously Daedric, with the look as if it had gone through countless wars and survived. Sola picked up the book. It was heavy, very heavy. A rush of energy and cold ran through Sola as she picked it up. Sola reluctantly opened the cover, and there was nothing there. Sola then got more determined and she flipped the page, no longer afraid of the consequences. Daedric symbols stared at her. Sola studied them. They made no sense. They started to mold themselves into Tamrielic script. Then, they seemed to twist into a circle, as if they were being sucked into something. The whole book started to shake. It had a portal forming in it. The portal sucked her into Apocrypha.

It was a realm of books and halls. Books flew around, and guardians of knowledge existed. Sola could not feel more at home, or more afraid. She loved the forbidden knowledge, but she had an objective. She needed to speak to the Prince himself.

"Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Forbidden Knowledge, I have entered your plane of Oblivion and demand to speak to you!" Sola commanded.

No answer came.

"I require your gift of knowledge!" Sola yelled.

A formless mass of tentacles and eyes emerged from darkness. Sola instantly knew it was the Prince himself. It floated about her, studying her and looking at her with a thousand unblinking eyes.

"Sola Auroron." Hermaeus Mora said slowly.

"Hermaeus Mora." Sola said.

"You have gone through all of this trouble to find me. Speak your mind. Knowledge awaits for me." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I have taken a hundred years of life from my sister. I have inherited fifty, but I am looking for the other fifty. I was wondering if you had them." Sola said.

"No. I do not." Hermaeus Mora said abruptly.

"Staff of Magnus." Sola cursed.

"But…" Hermaeus Mora said.

"What spell did you use?" Hermaeus Mora asked.

"It is called Drain Life." Sola answered.

"Use it on this being I create. Show me your power." Hermaeus Mora said.

A shade of a Dremora appeared, standing motionless. Sola readied herself and sapped the energy from the shade with the spell of Drain Life. She felt energy run over her body and into her heart. She felt overloaded with the energy. It could easily become a hunger if she used it too often. She felt as if it could be like the hunger of a vampire.

"Now I see." Hermaeus Mora slowly said.

"The lost remnants of your sister's soul remain in Coldharbour, with Molag Bal." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I was just there." Sola said.

"I know." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I hope you find peace with that knowledge though. You are forbidden to leave now." Hermaeus Mora said, closing the open Black Book.

"Why is that?" Sola asked.

"You are to become my servant. You know plenty about magic, and I will make good use of you." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I offer a tome of knowledge to get me out of here." Sola said, pulling out a book she took from Coldharbour.

"This one? I know it. This is worthless to me." Hermaeus Mora said, taking the book and throwing it.

"You do, however, have something I want. Something forbidden that very few know about…" Hermaeus Mora said.

"Monster! Get away!" Sola said, charging a spell.

"Your letters. Your letters. That is knowledge I do not possess...yet." Hermaeus Mora said.

Sola had to make a decision, and quickly. She did not want to give her letters to a Daedric Prince, but if it got her out alive, then it would be worth it. She had only a second to debate, before Hermaeus Mora grew angry and impatient of waiting.

"Fine. I forgot I even had them." Sola said, taking out an envelope filled with letters and throwing them to the Prince.

Hermaeus Mora caught them and instantly tore through them all, absorbing their words. His eyes looked with glutton and excitement as he read and understood the words written on the paper, while Sola barely looked, unable to handle this. She was ready to leave Apocrypha.

"A self-proclaimed servant of Meridia? Very daunting. I should remind you that Meridia and Molag Bal are at war." Hermaeus Mora said.

"Really?" Sola asked.

"Yes. Really." Hermaeus Mora said, creating a portal back to Coldharbour.

"Coldharbour awaits, Sola. Coldharbour awaits." Hermaeus Mora said, moving out of the way to reveal the portal.

"Thank you." Sola said.

"Go, mortal." Hermaeus Mora said.

Sola walked back through the portal, and out of the Black Book she came. Sola looked back, and the Black Book collapsed on itself and it disappeared, back to Apocrypha. Sola went back up the hall and opened the door, and the warden was still there.

"I'm back." Sola said.

"What do you know?" The warden asked.

"Molag Bal has what I'm looking for." Sola answered.

"Well, then you have to approach him yourself. You just have to summon him and he will appear." The warden said.

"Thank you. Where can I do that?" Sola asked.

"The pits laying around, the deep pits. I am sure you can sense the magicka in them. Those pits." The warden said.

"Okay, I think I can handle this then." Sola said.

"Good, I have to leave you anyways. I do not want to possibly kill you." The warden said, starting to walk off.

"Hey, whatever your name actually is, thank you for the help." Sola said.

"Anytime." The warden said, leaving.

Sola went out back into the prison of Coldharbour, and found one of those fonts of magicka. She stood in front of it and stared into the pit below. There was nothing. It was nothingness. Sola stood, ready to finally announce her purpose here.

"Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of Domination, and Harvester of Souls, I call upon you to take something back from you!" Sola yelled casting a fireball into the deep pit.

The ground shook wildly, and it grew even colder. Sola heard Molag Bal yell. She was expecting him to emerge from the pit, and was ready to fight if necessary. Sola readied herself for any kind of confrontation. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself.

"Speak, mortal!" Molag Bal's voice called out, shaking the ground.

"You have some of my sister's life. I demand it back." Sola said.

"You are Sola Auroron, the one who stole life from her sister when she attacked you. Now I hold fifty years, and you hold fifty years." Molag Bal's voice shook.

"I am. And I demand it back. It was a mistake." Sola said.

"It was a mistake. It was also a mistake leaving you alive when you were captured." Molag Bal's voice shook.

"But I guess since you bound my warden of the prison, he did not feel like he should even treat you like the rest of my prisoners." Molag Bal's voice said.

"What do you want? I will give it to you for those years." Sola said.

"I want nothing, mortal. I want nothing. I need nothing. Those years are mine. You never should have given them to me in the first place. That was your mistake." Molag Bal's voice boomed.

"Well, asking was worth a try." Sola said.

"Just let me go then. I will leave you alone." Sola said.

"No. I made the mistake of letting you live. Now you serve Meridia. I will not make that mistake again." Molag Bal's voice yelled.

"It was worth a try." Sola said.

"Your death faces behind you." Molag Bal's voice taunted.

Sola turned around, and it was undoubtedly the warden. He shook in his armor, and he looked like he could barely carry his sword with both hands, even though he often used only one. He seemed unsure of himself for sure, and Sola had no trouble telling that.

"His will is too strong." The warden said, fighting.

"My name is Sola Auroron, in case you didn't know. Figured at least you should know before I die." Sola said.

"Mine is Vyrkyl." The warden said.

"Pleasure to meet you." Sola said.

"I don't want to do this. I have to though." The warden said.

"Kill her!" Molag Bal's Voice screamed.

Vyrkyl swung and Sola quickly dodged. She did not want to kill him if necessary. But as Sola thought of that thought, she was slashed in the chest with the sword. Sola felt that pain for the first time. Not betrayal, she knew this could happen, but the pain of war. Sola quickly readied a healing spell and mended her wound. Sola looked more determined and she went into her backpack and pulled out the book that taught her to go back to Tamriel. Sola grabbed firm hold of it, and threw it at Vyrkyl, and she ran away. She hoped the distraction would be enough.

"Kill her!" Molag Bal's voice yelled, to all Daedra in Coldharbour.

The ground shook too hard to run easily, and Sola had trouble keeping her balance. She kept on running though. She had no idea where she was going and what to do other than run, and maybe luck would save her. However, Sola took a wrong turn. The Dremora pursuing her had now cornered her in a cell. She should have taken a right instead of a left. Sola was not going out without a fight this time. She readied her strongest spell ever, a flame so brilliant that it was pure white. She thought it might be able to hold them off for a little bit.

In that moment, there was an incredibly brilliant flash of white. Sola was comforted by a voice telling her the word 'silence'. Sola saw nothing but that brilliant white. Then, she moved around, and still, nothing but the white. She then opened her eyes. Before her, she instantly recognized who it was: Meridia. Sola instantly sat herself up, instead of laying down. Around Meridia were beings cloaked in white, very possibly her own Daedric servants. Everything else was white.

"Mortal. You seem to have gotten yourself involved in a war beyond your understanding." Meridia said.

"Lady Meridia, I am honored to see you." Sola said, standing up and bowing.

"You are a self-proclaimed follower of mine." Meridia said.

"Why, yes, I am." Sola said, happy.

"I practice disposing of bodies in war to prevent them from turning into undead." Sola added.

"Good, but you are not my true servant." Meridia said.

"What?" Sola asked, as if she did not hear that.

"You are not a true servant of me. Nor will I offer you that position. But know I have heard your prayers to me, and I notice you. Keep up the good work, Sola." Meridia said.

"We have a portal ready for her to return to Mundus, Lady Meridia." A cloaked servant said.

"Hold on." Meridia said.

"Sorry, it is just I have wanted to see you for so long. I mean, had I known this was going to happen, I would have brought the staff or clothes I made for you." Sola said, digging through her backpack for her spare clothes to at least give something.

"Gifts? I get those all the time, same with worship." Meridia said.

"I know...I just thought that you'd appreciate it." Sola said.

Sola dug through her backpack, but then the statue of Meridia fell out, and setting itself by one of the feet of the cloaked servants.

"Sorry." Sola said, grabbing the statue.

"Hold on, mortal. Let me see that." A cloaked servant said, grabbing the statue.

"Lady Meridia, it is a statue of you." The servant said.

"Me?" Meridia asked.

Meridia looked at the craftsmanship. Not terrible, but not the best ever. But she could tell there was a lot of genuine effort and love put into it. But it smelled of undeath. That was unbearable.

"You use this to cleanse the bodies. This stinks of undeath." Meridia said.

"I know. I prayed to you to cleanse it, but it just stayed that way." Sola said.

"If you are to continue performing my rites that you made up for me, at the very least, you could have a clean statue to do so." Meridia said.

Sola was a bit let down. Meridia seemed to be like most other Daedra, looking down upon most mortals. Sola was on the verge of crying from this. She had put up with enough, and being unable to help her sister now, this just might push her over the edge.

"Sorry, I thought I did an okay job." Sola said.

"Here. Take it back. It is now properly sanctified for use in cleansing bodies. Your work is a service, and it has not gone unnoticed." Meridia said, stepping out from behind the servants and handing the statue over.

"Thank you...thank you so much. This makes up for me not being able to get my sister back her life I took." Sola said.

"I cannot help with that. But continue cleansing bodies, and good things will come of it." Meridia said.

"She needs to go back to Mundus." A servant said.

"Then she will go." Meridia said.

"Sola Auroron, go and continue to serve me." Meridia said as Sola stepped into the portal.

"I will, I will." Sola said, leaving.

Sola found herself at the Daedric Shrine again. She looked around. All her things were there, but something seemed out of place. There was a book that looked eerily familiar to the Black Book she had seen. She picked it up reluctantly, and looked in it. Her adventure that had just taken place was written down. Perhaps Hermaeus Mora had done her a favor.

Discussion on "To Coldharbour"

As you noticed, this book was notably shorter than the previous one. Due to me being the only researcher on the origin on Magna-Sola, the amount of work I can reference to from previous scholars is near zero. So, all theories I present are my own, unless stated otherwise. The shortness of "To Coldharbour", as it turns out, is unusual. As you will see, stories involving Magna-Sola tend to be much longer. My theory, while without any evidence to present it, is that "To Coldharbour" is part of a long list of short stories that makes up a substantial amount of the filler between the 'lost years' where there is no recording of what Sola was doing at the time.

As hinted at, Sola was in Cyrodiil, fighting for the original Aldmeri Dominion, ruled by Queen Ayrenn. Sola claimed to be a medic, but as evidenced by her knowledge in magic, there is much more than Restoration to her.

A character we finally get a name for is Vyrkyl, the Dremora warden. He develops to be a character of some notable importance. We see Vyrkyl become more and more subservient to Sola. And this trend continues.

Something important to note is the travel across Daedric Planes. Sola visits Coldharbour, the Colored Rooms, and Apocrypha, alongside starting on Nirn. During the short story, she talks to Meridia, Molag Bal, and Hermaeus Mora.

There is actually debate among when this story was written. While I am the only one in the field of study of Magna-Sola, there are plenty of historians who argue the dates of when "To Coldharbour" occurs. I found this out when I traveled to Alinor, while study of Magna-Sola may not be important to Altmer, certainly using the date of her disappearance, ascension, which are well-recorded celestial events, and approximated dates in her novels is commonplace. Some Altmer argue that "To Coldharbour" actually takes place after Sola's ascension to Magna-Sola. They provide evidence, saying that because she was able to freely talk and communicate with the Daedric Princes, she must have had a notable amount of power to resist attacks, and defend herself.

Other scholars cite that because Sola finds out the name of the warden during this time, and because she knows it during every subsequent novel, that "To Coldharbour" takes place before her ascension in "Atop the Tower". As it turns out though, when I brought up the paradox of Talos' trousers, the scholars only went into more disarray. When I left the library in Alinor, the scholars had come to the conclusion that the Second Era Dragon Break made it impossible to pinpoint any dates, so it was best left at keeping some things undiscussed.

Outside of the conjectured time paradox suggested by some Altmer scholars, "To Coldharbour" remains a relatively dull rock among the jewels that are the rest of the novels. Its shortness, and lack of notable plot depth keeps it from in depth study among Magna-Sola scholars, which is limited to myself. Yet, ironically, it remains foremost in of the novels in terms of studying other Daedra and in terms of reading.

"The Fall of Meridia"

This is the most apocryphal text surrounding Magna-Sola. Often considered to be an expansion on "The Exegesis of Merid-Nunda", filling in the generalized details with a followable story, "The Fall of Meridia" is still under debate on whether or not it is accurate. It is admitted that most of what it says lines up with "The Exegesis of Merid-Nunda", which is considered to be an accurate account of Meridia's origin. So, I would recommend reading that before you read this.

Perhaps you were wondering why I am including a work about Meridia in a work about Magna-Sola. Allow me to explain. First, as written earlier, Sola Auroron was a follower of Meridia, and it came to encompass a sizeable portion of her life, from her choice in magic, to her lifestyle and line of work. Second, and more interestingly, "The Fall of Meridia" makes reference to Sola. This story, according to it, was told by Meridia to Sola Auroron.

This work, like "To Coldharbour" has quite a bit of controversy surrounding it. There is debate on when the story occurred. Again, this was another work of literature that the Altmer scholars in Alinor argued over the date, on whether or not Sola Auroron in the story was Magna-Sola, or still in her mortal form.

Another topic of debate is the author of this work. Like "To Coldharbour", the well-known source is a Black Book. However, just like other Black Books concerning Magna-Sola and Sola Auroron, they disappeared with her exodus during the conquest of Alinor by Tiber Septim. Despite this, here in the Imperial City library, we have a perfect copy that matches word-for-word the known Black Book scripts. At first it was thought that it was just a copy, but as it turns out, I convened with a few fellow researchers and mages, to find out more about this apocryphal copy of "The Fall of Meridia", and we were able to determine that it was hand-written during the Second Era, on paper commonly used in the Aldmeri controlled portion of Cyrodiil. In addition, the mages were able to detect plenty of magicka emanating from the paper. That led to two possible consensi, either the copy was written by a powerful Aldmeri mage, or it was magically preserved. We looked at the text, and it was well preserved, but not on the scale of being magically protected. So, the text was written by a mage during a magically potent area of their life. It only made sense to consider Sola Auroron herself to be a candidate of writing the copy.

When I hunted down her letters that she had written, I brought my notes on the Imperial City copy of "The Fall of Meridia", and I was convinced that what we had in the Imperial City library was, in fact, written by Sola herself. Of course, this does lead to some contradiction between the Black Book origin of the story. So, one possibility is that Sola copied it from the Black Book.

The last bit of knowledge to share before diving into this book is that it is also rather short. Again, like "To Coldharbour", there is thought that "The Fall of Meridia" might be part of the same anthology of stories surrounding Magna-Sola. Of course, there is little evidence to confirm or deny that.

So, the setting of the story is not easily set. And it occurs over a vast expanse of time. So, that is why I recommended reading "The Exegesis of Merid-Nunda" before, so you have an idea of what is going on within the story.

Allow me to present "The Fall of Meridia", directly from the words that Sola Auroron wrote.

Sola Auroron found herself in a flash of light. One second before, she was burning bodies in Cyrodiil, the next, light flashed, and now the light was so intense that it seemed as if she would be blinded. Then, the white turned to black.

"Wake up, mortal." A voice called.

"Wake up." The voice called again.

Sola still could not get past the bright white light. She squinted to try and dim the light, but it did not work. She just figured she would be best setting her head back down to rest, and she did that.

"I said wake, mortal!" The voice finally said, a bit frustrated.

Sola sat straight up, and looked in front of her. In that moment, she remembered who it was: Meridia. Sola would have to restrain her excitement, lest she start talking and asking questions and going on and on about the most trivial subjects.

"Meridia...my Lady...hi." Sola said.

"Mortal, Sola Auroron." Meridia said.

"What do you want with me?" Sola asked out of excitement, and finding it hard to hide her smile.

"I wanted to thank you for your hard work. I have a few followers, and most of them fight Molag Bal. Yet so few take the task that you have. You have been outstanding in your work of purifying bodies in my name." Meridia said.

"Anytime. You just thanking me made my whole week." Sola said.

"I have pulled you out of the depths of Coldharbour several times; I have helped you. You have helped me. You would say that we are friends, of a sort. Could you?" Meridia asked.

"Well, I worship you, I guess perhaps we could be considered friends in the very loosest of ways." Sola said.

"So, you pulled me from Nirn to your realm just to say thank you? It seems like a bit of a waste of time and energy. I would have been perfectly content with just a shade in your image, like you sent in Coldharbour." Sola said.

"Yes, but perhaps you have merited my time and energy." Meridia said.

"Strange, I figured you would have talked down to me more. Usually gods are known for that sort of thing." Sola said.

"You called me a god. A god, you would consider me one?" Meridia asked.

"Yes, of course. I worship you with Azura and various gods of the pantheons spread across Tamriel." Sola answered.

"How strange. Most priests would not consider a Daedra a god." Meridia said.

"I am not a priest though. I am your servant." Sola said.

"Azura. I know you consider her a god. With right, some other mortals worship her as a god." Meridia said.

"Look, my Lady, if I do not get back to Cyrodiil soon, I will not be able to restrain myself, and I will start asking all manner of questions." Sola said.

"Miss Auroron, are you aware of my past?" Meridia asked.

"All that I could find." Sola answered.

"You know that I used to be among the Aedra, is that right?" Meridia asked.

"Yes, it is." Sola answered.

"Perhaps you would like a story told to you." Meridia said.

"Yes, I would very much like that." Sola said, afterwards covering her mouth in excitement.

"What is it about? The war with Molag Bal? Your adventures in the mortal realm? Your reason for hating undead? What?" Sola asked.

"Calm down." Meridia said.

"Calm down." Meridia added softly.

"It has been troublesome to be lately. I know Molag Bal. We have been enemies for a very long time. This war reminds me of days past…" Meridia started to say.

"Merid-Nunda, Lady of Life and Energy, can you tell me why you are here today?" Akatosh asked.

There he was. Akatosh, chief of all the gods, the Dragon-God of Time. He was a large dragon, covered in gold scales, with bright eyes of gold. His noble form was above all the other gods he was among.

Merid-Nunda was a room of white. The other gods sat around her, ready to decide her fate after listening to her testimony.

"When Magnus and I, and all the others, fled, I made it my goal to restore all Aedra with the life and energy that we once had before Lorkhan tricked you into giving away your energy." Merid-Nunda said.

"I believe that I have found out how to restore all of our life and energy. I have been on the cusp of restoring it, and I was just about to, before you forced me here." Merid-Nunda said.

"Merid-Nunda, you were consorting with the Others!" Akatosh said.

"They hold so much power, just as much as all of us, yet you refuse any kind of assistance from them! I had to go on my own to restore your power!" Merid-Nunda said.

"Which one? Which one claimed to be able to know how to restore us?" Akatosh asked.

"Herma-Mora. He knows." Merid-Nunda answered.

"Herma-Mora...you know better." Akatosh said.

"How much energy have we all lost from the creation of the Mundus? I wanted to give everyone back it, and I know how, I just need a chance." Merid-Nunda said.

"Lorkhan was a trickster and a liar, just as you are a traitor to our name! You knew it was wrong to consort with them, yet you did!" Akatosh said.

"I can restore myself along with all of you. I just want to help you, and yet you are too proud to accept." Merid-Nunda said.

"How many of them did you associate with?" Akatosh asked.

Merid-Nunda remained silent.

"How many?!" Akatosh yelled.

"One." Merid-Nunda answered.

"One too many." Akatosh said.

"Merid-Nunda, this council of gods have found you guilty of associating with the Others, and you are stripped of your godhood. You are also to be cursed to live among the Others." Akatosh announced.

"No! I just wanted to help!" Merid-Nunda said.

"Mara, help me, please!" Merid-Nunda cried, wanted help.

"You brought this upon yourself." Mara said, looking away.

The other gods looked away from her. Merid-Nunda was shameful. Her attempts to restore power to her fellow gods resulted in her exile. She knew what she did was wrong, yet she still thought that her good she would bring would cover her sins, yet they did not in this case. No matter to her. If the other gods were not going to accept her help, then she would have no choice but to ensure that she was the only one with that power.

"Merid-Nunda, the Others wait for you." Akatosh said, lifting a wing and pointing to the other side of the room.

The Others were all huddled together. Merid-Nunda had heard of the others, but had only seen Herma-Mora before. All fourteen of them were together, from the Azura she had heard about, to Mehrunes Dagon. In their various forms, they looked at her, and coldly welcomed her.

"Welcome, Merid-Nunda." Herma-Mora said, floating around and staring at her.

"Herma-Mora, I hoped we would be seeing each other on more pleasant terms." Merid-Nunda said.

"I will fully initiate her into the Order." Molag Bal said, reaching out an arm.

"Hold back! I want order!" Jyggalag, the Prince of Order said.

"As you wish." Molag Bal said.

"Allow me to introduce myself and the others." Jyggalag said.

"There is Azura, Lady of the Dusk and Dawn. Perhaps you two will get along." Jyggalag said.

Azura appeared to be a beautiful woman with the lights of Magnus and Secunda and Masser around her. She appeared to be powerful, and perhaps a good ally.

"We have Boethiah, Prince of deceit, treachery, and sedition. I am sure that you will know her well." Jyggalag said.

"Then there is Clavicus Vile, Prince of Trickery and Wishes. I would advise you stay away from his trickery." Jyggalag said.

"You have met Herma-Mora. We know him as Hermaeus Mora." Jyggalag added.

"Hircine is the Prince of the Hunt. You will probably not deal with him." Jyggalag said.

"Mehrunes Dagon is the Prince of Destruction. He is not like us; we prefer order." Jyggalag said.

"Mephala is the Prince of Lies, Secrets, and Plots. She will get you into trouble." Jyggalag continued.

"This is Molag Bal, Prince of Domination. He is dangerous. You like life, he likes death." Jyggalag said.

"Namira is the Prince of Darkness. That is enough said. She keeps to herself." Jyggalag said.

"This is Vaermina, Prince of Dreams. Something to be concerned with the ones who live on Mundus." Jyggalag said.

"This is Nocturnal, sister to Azura, and Prince of Night." Jyggalag said.

"This is Peryite, the Taskmaster. The order he searches for is not the order I build." Jyggalag said.

"We then have Sanguine, Prince of Debauchery." Jyggalag said.

"Then, there is I, Jyggalag, Prince of Order." Jyggalag said, letting loose a bow.

There were plenty of these Others. Merid-Nunda was going to become one of them now. After all, there were only the Others, and everyone else, in the spiritual realm.

"Merid-Nunda, how pleasant to see you here." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I am sure it was not much of a surprise." Merid-Nunda said.

"You went against your better judgement and reached out to me. You knew the consequences, and here you are. Welcome." Hermaeus Mora said.

"I thought you would understand, Akatosh. I thought you had the sight to see what I tried to do." Merid-Nunda said to Akatosh.

"Merid-Nunda, Lady of Light, you know I understand. Still, your motif does not forgive your crime." Akatosh said.

"Merid-Nunda? That is your name. No longer. You need a new name. You are no longer a god, you are one of us." Jyggalag said.

"Meridia." Azura suggested.

"How fitting. Just enough of your past name, but enough of your current name." Hermaeus Mora said.

"It works. Merid-Nunda, I now declare your name as Meridia." Jyggalag said.

"Enough meeting for you. You can do that in your own realms. Begone." Akatosh said.

"No. We leave on our terms." Molag Bal said.

"Alduin, my son, come rid these Others from our land!" Akatosh said.

The dragon Alduin emerged, black as night, and flew to the Others and started to use words to rid them from the gods' presence.

"Stop this. I do not wish to cause a rift. We will leave in peace." Meridia said.

"So be it." Jyggalag said.

The Others all went into a portal and left to their own realms. Except for Meridia. She lacked her own realm. Before, she communed with the other gods, but now, exiled from them, she was all by herself. Jyggalag offered her a chance to temporarily stay in his realm until she received her own. There, in the Shivering Isles, so it was called, Meridia and Jyggalag sat, talking, with Jyggalag hoping that he would be able to convince Meridia to join his own pursuits.

"As I said, I am Jyggalag, Prince of Order. I want to bring order across the plains of Oblivion, and even beyond that. I am by far the strongest of my peers, even surpassing Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon. For that reason, I am hated. I know it, and every one of the Others hates me for my power. At this point, I doubt they will do anything to stop me, but, with you now joining in, I am afraid, just a bit. Would you help in striking me down?" Jyggalag asked.

"No, I would not think of it. You and I think alike. Order and life. You do not seem as dark as some of the other Princes. I think I would be able to rely on you to an extent." Meridia answered.

"Generally, I do not trust the other gods and their promises. I think that I could trust you just as much as I trust myself though. You said we think alike. This is true. So many of my peers have dark motifs planned for Mundus, yet we seem to want to stay calm and peaceful. I just want order, and you just want life to persist." Jyggalag said.

The conversation seemed to stop abruptly. There was an awkward silence as the two sat, looking strangely at one another.

"To let you know, the decision to strip you of your 'godhood' is nothing other than a formality. Let me be the first to tell you that even gods are not capable to taking power away from other gods. We are all gods. Just as much as they are gods, we are gods. Do not forget your power you still have. I will say though, it will be strange having a former 'god' around. I can openly say that our goals are far different than that of the others. I can only assume that what you want is different from what the rest of us want. Regardless, you are welcome to stay here until you find out how to make your own realm." Jyggalag said, getting up from his throne.

Years passed by. Countless years. On and on they dragged by. Meridia had little to do other than plan how she might regain her place among the gods. She had met the Others several times too many now. She knew that most were not to be trusted, yet she found some matter of an alliance between her, Azura, Jyggalag, and Hermaeus Mora. The four of them seemed to have less evel motifs behind what they wanted. Meridia figured that the four of them may all be able to become gods if she could just crack the code in restoring the life to the gods.

One day, Meridia was just as hard as work as she normally way, in the realm of Apocrypha, studying up on what she could to restore life. Hermaeus Mora watched over her carefully. Meridia was still an alien to them. Despite being struck down by the gods, Meridia seemed to fit in more with them still. Hermaeus Mora only allowed Meridia to learn from his vast collection of knowledge because he knew that Meridia would say where she received her knowledge from, and it could very well increase his own power.

Meridia sat, reading some obscure tome. She found herself staring into the pages, then, the next moment, she stood in the white room, with Akatosh in front of her.

"Merid-Nunda, Meridia. It has been quite some time." Akatosh said.

"Akatosh...what do you want?" Meridia asked.

"I have been doing some research of my own, and you lack your own place to call home. How unfortunate." Akatosh said.

"If only you knew someone who could make this need come true." Akatosh said.

"If only...if only I wanted that. I am content staying among the other princes." Meridia said.

"Merid-Nunda, this stays between us. Us only. I did not want you ousted from the rest of us. I knew that what you wanted was good, even if you went around doing in in an bad way. I cannot restore your former position, or in any way at all. But, I can offer you your own realm. If you stay with the Others, you will become more and more like them. I do not want that. I want you just like how you used to be, like you still are. The Others will corrupt you. Please, just say the words, and I will make you a realm." Akatosh said.

"You are the god of time, yet you can make a realm of Oblivion, explain." Meridia said.

"There is much more to time than you know. Only I know it's true secrets." Akatosh answered.

"I do not associate with the evil Princes. They are truly evil. I only meet with the 'good' ones." Meridia said.

"Good to hear." Akatosh said.

"Give me my own realm. I will continue to protect life as I always have." Meridia said.

Akatosh prepared his power. With a mighty roar, he opened a portal. Meridia walked into her own new realm of Oblivion. It was barren, yet on the horizon, there was plenty of room for her own use. So, with that, Akatosh would leave Meridia with parting words.

"Merid-Nunda, good luck in all of your future efforts in preserving life." Akatosh said.

"Akatosh, thank you for the gift." Meridia said, closing the portal as Akatosh flew out of her realm.

Meridia was disgusted. She only went along with what Akatosh wanted because she would benefit from it. As Akatosh flew out, Meridia looked with disappointment. This fellow god she once looked up to, forced to try to appease her so she may continue to do her job. How pitiful. Meridia was now convinced that her and her fellow Princes were now just as much gods as the others. And now, with her own realm, Meridia would have a spot to work from.

Years passed by. Meridia built her own realm, and created her own life there. She did not go through Peryite, knowing that he was evil, but instead made her own servants. Meridia had a bright realm, with a bright future, then, Molag Bal invaded. Molag Bal wanted to show his power over Meridia, this newcomer in his order, and he decided to invade Meridia's realm to enslave the population and to show his dominance. Dremora poured through portals, and Meridia's defenders fought valiantly, but it was not enough. The endless hordes of Dremora fought harder. Meridia, however, knew of her great power caused by her divinity. She set one foot on the floor, and the Dremora that invaded her realm turned to ash. With a flick of her wrist, she shut the portals forever. Meridia would not take this act from Molag Bal lightly. She would take this up with him personally.

"Molag Bal!" Meridia yelled.

Meridia sent herself into the depths of Coldharbour to find this Prince of Domination. He had gone several steps too far, and he would have to answer for his actions.

"Molag Bal! You warmonger, get out of your fortress and talk to me!" Meridia yelled, banging on the front door of Molag Bal's palace.

"Meridia, welcome." Molag Bal said, opening a portal to his throne room.

Meridia took the portal, and found herself in the throne room of Molag Bal. The massive, horrible, dreadful Molag Bal sat on a throne, and Meridia, cloaked in light, stood before him. Meridia was by no means happy, and she was going to show Molag Bal how she felt.

"What are you doing invading my realm?" Meridia asked, calmly.

"It is my nature to dominate and enslave. Me not doing that would be like Jyggalag not wanting order anymore." Molag Bal answered.

"You have no right to go into my pocket of Oblivion. You stay in yours, and I stay in mine." Meridia said.

"Meridia, Meridia, do you not see? You are an alien among us. You do not belong. I want you out of our order which you were forced into. We only agreed because of the power Jyggalag has. If not for him, you would be on your own, at least more than you already are." Molag Bal said.

"You act as if I did not know that." Meridia said.

"But the difference between the other Princes and I is that I am willing to take action. Even as we speak, my Dremora are conquering your realm, so that I may bring it to Coldharbour, and forever keep you and your realm as my slaves." Molag Bal said, laughing.

Meridia was shocked. She was not sure if these words were lies, or if they were truth. But Meridia was not going to take her chances; she would see if Molag Bal's words were truth. Meridia let a flash of brilliant light go, and she disappeared, going back to her own realm. Molag Bal was not lying. Dremora were attacking on a larger scale than the previous invasion a few hours ago. The defenders were being pushed back to the nexus of the realm. Meridia burned hordes of Dremora as she made her way to the center to back up her defenders.

"Lady Meridia! You return!" A Defender said, picking off Dremora with magical spells.

"My followers, we will make Molag Bal pay for this." Meridia said.

For hours they fought. The Dremora kept on coming. Heavily armored shock troops rushed to the gates that blocked the entrance to the center castle. Dremora mages were brought in to dispel the magical wards, and then to dismantle the gates. It would take time, however, and the Defenders were well-trained and well-armed. From a distance, they used light-based magic to destroy the invading forces. In flashes of brilliant white, Dremora were consumed. Flames of holy fire rained down upon the mages while they tried to dispel the wards. Meridia herself fought, taking the most Dremora out of all of the other Defenders, combined. Still, there were too many Dremora. They eventually broke through despite their great losses. They pushed further inwards. The presence of Molag Bal's evil intent caused the ever-bright Colored Rooms to turn black as night. Meridia and her strongest defenders were forced back into the very center of her plane. For days, Dremora tried to overwhelm them and fully take the plane, but they never succeeded. The ever-vigilant Defenders and the omnipotence of Meridia were too much. They used their sacred light to burn the Dremora out of the Colored Rooms, but, one by one, the Defenders started to fall. Perhaps one day they could be reformed and reappear, but not now. Their essences were likely being captured, only to be enslaved by Molag Bal. Eventually, only Meridia and a lowly Defender remained; the remaining Defender was a common soldier, and he was in shock that a he had survived as long as he did.

With only her and one other remaining, Meridia finally unleashed her fullest potential. Meridia let loose the word 'light', and Dremora fell and turned into ash. Meridia cast a spell, and it cleansed the castle of Dremora. And with a final exertion, with a cry of effort, Meridia used her divine power to burn the Dremora all over her realm. With that, the invasion was over. The losses were far too great for Molag Bal to continue, for now. Meridia stepped outside with her remaining defender. Together, they looked at the rising light in the sky.

"The dawn breaks, even after the darkest night." Meridia said, looking at the rising light.

"My lady, we survived." The Defender said.

"Yes." Meridia said.

"Give me your sword, your blessed sword, my servant." Meridia said.

The Defender obliged. He took his sword out from its sheath and handed it over to his master. Meridia held the sword. Light, bright, a weapon worthy of use. Meridia felt its essence, she knew the sword. She willed it into something even more. It shone with the light of a thousand stars, and was blessed with her holy light. Meridia floated the sword above her delicate right hand, and held it in front of her remaining Defender.

"I name this sword Dawnbreaker, and bless it in my name." Meridia said.

"It will stand against everything that Molag Bal supports." Meridia added.

As Meridia and the remaining Defender continued to look peacefully out at the rising light, a portal opened. Out came six Dremora, and a shade of Molag Bal. Meridia lifted her sword with little effort, and slashed the Dremora with its white-hot holy light, and sent the Dremora back to Coldharbour. Only Molag Bal's shade remained.

"Meridia, I see you stopped me, for now." Molag Bal said.

"Molag Bal, you have made an enemy out of me. I will make you regret that." Meridia said.

"Meridia, you act as if I am weak. You are weak. I nearly took your realm." Molag Bal said.

"I fought you off. I want you to know that I will ensure that you are repaid for this." Meridia said.

"Now, you are banished from here, Molag Bal." Meridia said, ridding the shade from her realm.

"My lady, now what?" The Defender asked.

"Now, we rebuild." Meridia answered.

"But once we have strength, and numbers, I will plunge Dawnbreaker deep into Coldharbour, and Molag Bal will be forever afraid, and eventually I will depose him, and his realm will collapse, and all will be better off." Meridia added.

"My champion, go and rest. You have earned it." Meridia said.

"Yes my lady." The Defender said, leaving to rest.

Meridia continued to stare at that light rising in the sky.

Even more years passed by. Meridia still did not feel as if she had assimilated with the other Princes. She only found the ability to put up with a few of them, and even with even less she found the ability to talk to outside of necessity. She favored Azura, Jyggalag, and Hermaeus Mora the most out of all the Princes. Her relationship with Hermaeus Mora was mysterious at most. Meridia mostly used him for researching obscure topics and for help on various subjects, and always in exchange for something Hermaeus Mora wanted, which she was fine with; she was always given fair trades. Azura was not as close as Meridia wanted. Meridia figured that herself and Azura would make a great alliance to protect their shared interests with. That was not the way it was. Azura turned out to be quite a bit different than Meridia originally thought. Meridia thought that Azura was purely benevolent, but it showed soon that Azura was not malevolent, but by no means was she benevolent. Meridia could put up with it, and figured that a strong alliance would be possible, but she would just have to try harder. Jyggalag, however, was who Meridia found the most common ground with. Jyggalag was not evil. He just wanted order. He was trying to get the Princes to cooperate. Jyggalag helped Meridia a great deal in rebuilding the Colored Rooms after Molag Bal invaded it, and the help was welcome. The two of them got along very well, and rarely had any large disagreements.

The other Princes knew that Meridia and Jyggalag had a strong relationship that may have included an alliance. They did not want this. Jyggalag was debatebly the strongest of the Princes, if not at least one of the strongest, and Meridia had proven herself more than capable of defending herself. The tendencies of Jyggalag tended to fit in more with the gods than that of a Prince, the idea of order, a lack of change, and it contradicted the very nature of the Princes, at least the ones other than Jyggalag and Meridia. Meridia also fit the mold for being a god, after all, she used to be considered one. With the very realistic possibility of Jyggalag and Meridia seizing power, possibly overthrowing the other Princes one by one, and maybe even communing and becoming gods frightened all of the other Princes. Every single one of them. Meridia was even slightly afraid of losing her autonomy to Jyggalag, and Jyggalag was slightly afraid of what Meridia had the potential to do.

In order to try to dispel rumors and to strengthen bonds, all of the Princes decided to meet up and discuss the problem, or at least have fun together. Sanguine said that he would provide the merriment. Hircine said he would provide a hunt for fun. Jyggalag offered his realm as the place for the meeting. Him and Meridia were the first ones there, and quickly, the other Princes appeared. All of them. They had all agreed to not bring any soldiers with them, and they all sat, or floated, in Hermaeus Mora's case, around a long table, with Meridia and Jyggalag sitting closely together. The other Princes were suspicious. It had to be a signal of a strong alliance.

"Oh, my son Alduin, I will allow you the throne." A Dremora dressed as Akatosh said.

"Now, I usurp your throne, and will rule over you, and destroy all you have made." A Dremora dressed as Alduin said.

Sanguine clapped loudly, saying all manner of complements to the play he had put on, a supposed comedy. The other Princes looked around, questioning Sanguine's sanity.

"Again! Again!" Sanguine called out.

"No, let us get down to what we need to discuss." Jyggalag said.

"You should all know that Molag Bal wanted us all to meet, for some reason he would not say. Please, Molag Bal, say what you need to." Jyggalag said.

"I want to bring attention the alliance of Meridia and Jyggalag. They are plotting something. I know it." Molag Bal said.

There was quite a bit of talking amongst the Princes, all uncalled for.

"Silence. We can discuss this in an orderly fashion!" Jyggalag said authoritatively.

"Explain your accusations." Jyggalag said.

"You have always been close to her since she joined our ranks. When I failed at invading her realm, you helped her rebuild, and now, you two are closer together than before. And unless there is something else going on, I can only assume that you two are in an alliance." Molag Bal said.

"What would be the purpose of this alliance?" Mehrunes Dagon asked.

"To impose order upon all of us. The order Jyggalag wants, and he would use Meridia as a tool to accomplish it." Molag Bal answered.

"Meridia, did you and I ever have an alliance together?" Jyggalag asked.

"No. We have not. At least as far as I know." Meridia answered.

"There, the suspicions should be quelled there." Jyggalag said.

"Unfortunately not." Boethiah said.

"None of us want that order that you want, Jyggalag. You know that; we have told you." Vaermina said.

"I have not made any attempts to impose my order on your realms!" Jyggalag said.

"Unfortunately, we suspect it." Peryite said.

"And with Meridia among us now, the risk is too great." Molag Bal said.

"Now!" Molag Bal said.

Molag Bal cast a quick spell on Jyggalag. He cursed him with it. All the other Princes followed suit, except Meridia. Each one of them cursed him with all of their strength, while Meridia sat in horror. Finally, what was left behind from the orderly one, was a white-haired person.

"You are now Sheogorath." Hermaeus Mora said, closing a tome of his.

"Hey! Who are you people?! Are you here for the party? I hope that the cheese arrives on time, if not...there may be a few who need to be punished." Sheogorath said.

"Oh? Is that music? Perhaps I should dance!" Sheogorath said, getting up and dancing.

Meridia sat silently, in shock.

"This meeting is adjourned." Molag Bal said, mocking Jyggalag.

"Hey, big guy, who do you think you are, walking around in the Shivering Isles, without even having the thought of finishing a meeting with the customary rites?" Sheogorath asked.

"Excuse me?" Molag Bal asked.

"Are you deaf? You need to finish the meeting by grabbing a chair, putting it on your head, and spinning around three times." Sheogorath explained.

"How pointless." Molag Bal said.

"Meridia, good luck with him." Molag Bal taunted, leaving.

The other Princes except for Hermaeus Mora and Azura and Meridia left the Shivering Isles.

"How strange...not what I had wanted for Jyggalag, but I suppose this may work eventually." Hermaeus Mora said.

"Mind if I borrow a tentacle or two? I need to make a soup, but I am all out of cabbage!" Sheogorath said, before running off to check under a bowl for something.

"Why did you do this to him?" Meridia finally asked.

"I was convinced, Merid-Nunda. Whether or not those were lies is something we will see. Still, Jyggalag will be set free for a while every now and then." Hermaeus Mora said, leaving to Apocrypha.

"Meridia, we need to talk." Azura said.

"Without your curse, Sheogorath is not permanent. I need you to give your blessing." Azura said.

"Now you want something? When I want you to help me you do not help. But when you want help, you want me to help." Meridia said.

"Without you, Sheogorath will go fully insane, and he will cause more trouble than good. With your curse, it will stabilize him. Prevent him from completely destroying everything." Azura said.

"Hey there, pup. The name's Sheogorath, Prince of Madness. Lady, is it good to see you." Sheogorath said, shaking Meridia's hand.

"Let go of me." Meridia said, pulling out her hand.

"Meridia...do not do that unless you want to pay!" Sheogorath said.

"With wheels of cheese!" Sheogorath continued.

On and on the antics and actions of the new Sheogorath continued. Meridia tried to put up with it at first, but in the end, he was becoming too much for Meridia to bear. Azura gave a final look at Sheogorath, signaling Meridia to curse him. Meridia had to, at the very least to get out her anger. Meridia let out a curse, and Sheogorath was then made permanent. Meridia left in disappointment, back to her realm, while Azura left too, but before they left, Meridia had to give a parting word.

"Azura, I expected more of you." Meridia said.

The years passed by. Meridia slowly devolved. With Jyggalag gone, nothing was the same. There was nobody to back her up, and then it was made clear that what Meridia had searched for, what cost her her divinity, did not actually exist. Hermaeus Mora had tricked her. Enough was enough. She was one of these Princes, but she was not going to act like them. The mad Sheogorath was truly the exact opposite of Jyggalag. There was no saving him. Meridia did not fit in with the other Princes, and she stood apart from them. Meridia had hoped that it would attract the attention of the gods. One day, Meridia reached back out to Akatosh, hoping that he would understand.

"Akatosh, I made a mistake. Please take me back." Meridia said, with Akatosh in her realm.

"Merid-Nunda, you must be eternally punished. It is just the way it is." Akatosh said.

"I do not fit in with the other Princes. I stand for all that is different." Meridia said.

"You stand between the line of the Others and gods. You are much different. Merid-Nunda, had you not made the mistake you had made, you would still be one of us. And I would be proud." Akatosh said.

"Akatosh, it was a lie!" Meridia snapped.

"Hermaeus Mora lied to me! There was no knowledge to restore your divinity, or even mine. He lied for some reason and now I am here." Meridia continued.

"Then perhaps you are fitting of your punishment." Akatosh said.

"Sorry, but I must go. I am needed." Akatosh said, preparing to fly away.

"Akatosh! Get back here!" Meridia called out as Akatosh flew away.

"Akatosh!" Meridia yelled.

"I will not forget this!" Meridia yelled.

"You have made an enemy out of me!" Meridia said.

It was decided. Now Meridia stood in the way of both the Princes and the gods. She seemed to be neither, but fighting both. She was intent on showing the errors that the gods had made, and ensuring that the Princes fought for light, and not darkness. Order, instead of madness. But it seemed as if all hope was lost. With Meridia's power severely limited by severing all her friendly contact to the gods, Meridia was weak, and the Others were strong. Chief of all her enemies was Molag Bal. He had plotted the invasion of her realm, plotted the overthrow Jyggalag, and very well may have had a hand in the loss of Meridia's divinity. Meridia would get revenge one way or another.

"Really? That's all true?" Sola asked Meridia.

"Take it for what you want. If you do not want to believe that it was true, then take it as a story to entertain you." Meridia answered.

"It was a very emotional story." Sola said.

"I am afraid that I have lost some of the details with time." Meridia said.

"Well, thank you for the story." Sola said.

"Of course, and thank you...Sola." Meridia said.

"Of course, Lady Meridia." Sola said.

"Back to Cyrodiil for you then. You need to continue with your work." Meridia said.

Sola found herself lying in a cot, in barracks inside a fort near the border to Elsweyr. She did not remember getting there. She checked around her, and there was nobody. Sola got up fully out of bed, revealing that her old, blood-stained clothes were still on. Sola continued to see what had happened. Walking around, her foot hit something. She knelt down and looked at what it was. It was a Black Book, and enclosed was the story she had just heard.

Discussion of "The Fall of Meridia"

Right out, I want to point out the language that is used. If Sola Auroron truly wrote this copy, then we have a serious contradiction. Every time Akatosh's name is invoked, it is used as Akatosh. We know that Sola was Altmer, and Altmer use the term Auri-El instead. So, as we find out later, Sola's sister, Nerwaye, has a child, and her family moves to Cyrodiil. What I thought is that when Sola wrote this, she was writing it for her sister's family.

The true significance, if it is taken to truth, is all of the new discoveries about the Daedric Princes. I want to stress that "The Fall of Meridia" is not considered to be a scholarly source when discussing Daedra, rather it is compared more to a children's book. We get to imagine all of these past events: the exegesis of Merid-Nunda, the fall of Jyggalag, and all manner of things. Of course, due to the controversy surrounding the story, it is best that I do not assume too much about it.

"The Fall of Meridia" does not fit in with all of the other novels that contain Sola Auroron. This is the only one where we see a different character in the main role, and Sola taking a subdominant role. It is something very unusual for her to do.

Quite honestly, there is not much to discuss about in terms of significance to Magna-Sola. We do not see any reference to Magna-Sola as a celestial occurrence, a Divine or Prince, or anything of that matter. If not for the few lines of dialogue Sola had, this work would not have been input into this study.

"The Chosen of the Storm"

Prepare to move back in time. "The Chosen of the Storm" does not directly pick off from where "To Coldharbour" ends. It certainly is a bit jumbled, but due to references within "To Coldharbour" and "The Chosen of the Storm", we can separate it into three parts.

The first part occurs right after Sola runs away from home in "The Start of an Adventure". Now, we get to see how Sola's family and friends react to her abandonment. From there, it actually builds up to the events in "To Coldharbour.

Furthermore, the second part occurs before "To Coldharbour". In this case, it is what motivates the whole plot.

Afterwards, there is the third part, which occurs after "To Coldharbour".

As you can tell, "The Chosen of the Storm" certainly seems to jump in the story, which is true. In "The Start of an Adventure", we get introduced to Nerwaye and Oldon. Now, they have their time to find Sola, and while it does not help to progress Sola's ascension to Magna-Sola, it does provide a solid basin for it to grow off of.

Central in this story is conflict. Again, we see Sola in a rough patch with her sister, and even with Oldon. Included are descriptions about their fights, and their resolutions and beginnings.

"The Chosen of the Storm" may seem like an unusual title, considering Sola Auroron and Magna-Sola were never known by those titles. In fact, the title comes from Oldon, letting us know that he is a sizeable character within this novel.

Researching for this was relatively straightforward. During my stay in Alinor, I did many things. One of them was visiting the village where the Auroron family lived. Today there is a small shrine to Magna-Sola, but when I asked the villagers how long it had been there for, they said that it had only been there for the past twenty years. That date coincides with a future celestial occurrence that will be discussed later. I figured, from my family, that Magna-Sola had some kind of religious place in the Summerset Isles, but as it turns out, she is little more than a local deity that only started to have a following a few years ago. Before that, her name was used more in cursing than in worship. And even then, reverence of Magna-Sola is considered commonplace around the Cloudrest area, which is the area that Sola came from.

In the village, I ventured around. While the houses that once stood there in the Second Era are no longer there, I did my best to follow in Sola's footsteps, and think how she thought. From there, I went back to Cyrodiil, but not to my study in the Imperial City library, rather, to the old Aldmeri forts still standing from the Three Banners War. Of course, today they are overloaded with bandits and beasts, so I had to venture with an Imperial legion who had orders to clear the place out. I got to experience what it was like to stand in the places Sola once stood and fought. It has certainly given me a different stance on the Three Banners War, and it was able to inspire me to write this.

Without further ado, allow me to present our next chapter.

There was a knocking at the door. He already had a thought for who it would be: Sola's parents. Who else could it be? Who would want to talk to him? All that Oldon did was his job: farm labor, and nobody bothered him. After saving up some money, he would go into the town, and buy a few things and go for a drink. But after his short conversation with Sola the previous night, and with the fact that everyone knew that the two had been childhood friends, it was no surprise that someone was knocking on the door of his shack in the early morning, on his day off.

"Please open up!" Sola's mother cried, banging on the door relentlessly.

"What is it?" Oldon asked, opening the door, and certainly a bit annoyed at the rude awakening.

"Do you know where Sola went? She ran away last night." Sola's mother asked, in shambles from her daughter's exodus.

Oldon remained rather silent.

"Tell me! I know you know where she went!" Sola's mother yelled.

"I do not. She just said she was going on an adventure." Oldon said.

"Well, she ran off because we found out she worshiped Daedra. I just hope she comes back; we still love her." Sola's mother said.

"I think she's in over her head. She doesn't know what's out there. Her mind all full of adventure." Sola's father said.

"I told you already. She probably went to Cyrodiil to fight. She's a fugitive; there's nowhere for her to go except there." Sola's sister said.

"She could have run off High Rock, or Morrowind!" Sola's father added.

"She's your daughter! She wouldn't do that." Nerwaye said.

"Anyways, you two go back to asking around people. I'm going to actually do that. She's my little sister, and I'm going to find her." Sola's sister said, walking away.

"Where are you going?" Oldon asked.

"Cyrodiil. That's where she went." Nerwaye answered.

"Hold on. I'm coming with you." Oldon said, stepping out of his shack.

"Then come on, I am leaving now." Nerwaye said.

The pair left, leaving behind the enraged and saddened parents of Sola and Nerwaye for Cyrodiil. Of course, Oldon and Nerwaye had been counting on Sola to be in Cyrodiil. They had failed foresee that at this point Sola would be adventuring around the Summerset Isles. So the pair went to where Nerwaye figured that Sola would have gone: Cloudrest. That was the closest city to where they lived, and it was only natural that Sola would have gone there to sign up for military service.

Oldon and Nerwaye made their way to Cloudrest, and they went to the local recruiting tent for the Aldmeri Dominion. There, they were met by a mild-mannered Altmer who smiled upon the two of them.

"Hey there, you two, are you looking to see the world? Wanting to explore Tamriel? Find yourself neck deep in adventures, stories, friends...and not to mention gold." The Altmer asked.

"No. I am here looking for someone." Nerwaye answered.

"I may have seen them, I may have not." The Altmer said.

"Her name is Sola Auroron. She's Altmer, looks somewhat similar to me, with short bobbed hair and large green eyes." Nerwaye said.

"Is she short?" The Altmer asked.

"A little bit." Nerwaye answered.

"No, sorry." The Altmer said.

"Damn it. I figured that she would be here." Nerwaye said.

"Do you think she's in Cyrodiil?" Oldon asked.

"Probably. I was hoping to not have to join, but if I have to, I will. She's my sister, and I need to find her." Nerwaye answered.

"I will still be here. She is my friend, and I would not leave to search for her alone." Oldon said.

"So you want to join?" The Altmer asked.

"No, but I will." Nerwaye answered.

"Then give me your name, and you two can be off." The Altmer said.

"I'm Nerwaye." Nerwaye said.

"I am Oldon." Oldon said.

"What a strange name for a Khajiit." The Altmer said.

"I was raised by Altmer. Gods know why." Oldon said.

"You were never told?" Nerwaye asked, in surprise.

"Never. What happened?" Oldon asked.

"You don't remember the Mages' Guild? Or anything else?" Nerwaye asked.

"Tell me! I want to know!" Oldon said.

"Let's wait for a minute, I'm sure that there'll be a time soon." Nerwaye said.

"You do know that by joining the Aldmeri Dominion Military that you are agreeing to be trained in a way deemed appropriate by the Thalmor? Because if you still are going to join, I am supposed to notify you that you will have to go through mandatory training unless you are under extraneous circumstances." The Altmer said.

"Damn it, I was hoping to not go through training...the things I do for Sola...okay, I'm ready." Nerwaye said, stepping forward.

"As am I." Oldon said.

The two wasted the rest of their day enjoying what could have been their last days of freedom. Then, at the end of the day, they were loaded onto a cart with the other new recruits, all of which were young Altmer, and the cart departed. On the cart ride, Nerwaye and Oldon talked.

"So, what is it that I was never told?" Oldon asked Nerwaye as the sun set in the distance.

"I'm surprised. I figured that someone would have told you." Nerwaye said.

"Did Sola know and just not tell me?" Oldon asked.

"No, she didn't know. She was just born by the time you came over." Nerwaye answered.

"So, tell me then." Oldon said.

"Okay, so...wait, you've never wondered why you have scars and weird markings on your fur?" Nerwaye asked.

"Scars? I have wrinkles." Oldon said.

"They're scars. Burns." Nerwaye said.

"I always thought they were wrinkles from my breed of Khajiit." Oldon said.

"I thought you'd know the difference...anyways...so, from what I heard when you first came over here, you were some kind of magical anomaly. I guess they said that you have some kind of affinity for storm magic." Nerwaye said.

"I never thought I did." Oldon said.

"What? But you've picked up magic, haven't you? That's pretty hard for a Khajiit." Nerwaye said.

"Sola taught me a lot." Oldon said.

"Okay, so Sola is a really fast learner for magic. She's got it all. She gets really impatient when someone doesn't pick something up quickly. What kind of magic did she try to teach you?" Nerwaye asked.

"Well, she tried to start with fire, because she said that I would burn my tail off, but I could not learn it very well." Oldon said.

"Then you couldn't learn anything up until shock magic." Nerwaye said.

"I just figured that all her lessons clicked." Oldon said.

"That, and because you have a natural affinity for shock magic, as I said." Nerwaye said.

"I still have no idea how you found this out." Oldon said.

"I listen. Sola talks, I listen. We're different. We never talked. You were talking to her the whole time." Nerwaye said.

"I wish I had gotten to know you better...well, I'm sure we'll become good friends." Nerwaye said.

"I am sure we will." Oldon said.

The training started, deep in Valenwood. It was hot and humid. Large bugs flew around, landing on everyone and bugging them. The whole batch of new recruits were dropped off in a camp, with tents made of animal skins and covered in moss. The camp smelled of feces and sweat and blood. It would not be a pleasant stay. They were all greeted by a Bosmer male, armored in bug shells and bones, and he did not look like he was having fun at the training camp. He lined all the new recruits up to speak to them.

"Welcome to Oblivion, maggots." The Bosmer trainer said.

All the recruits stayed silent, looking straight forward.

"This will be the worst time of your life. You will be different when I am done with all you; you will have respect, you will have honor, and most importantly you will be able to fight. If any of you do not think you have what it takes, leave, now." The trainer said.

Everybody kept silent and kept on looking ahead.

"You there! Cat! What are you doing here?!" The trainer asked some random Khajiit.

"This one wants to earn a living for his family." The Khajiit answered.

"I know your kind, you'll see something in war that you won't forget, and you'll turn to skooma, if you haven't already." The trainer said.

Training started. It was brutal, it was horrible. The heat was unbearable. And coupled with the humidity, it was made several times worse. The bugs, both large and small, attacked them. The small bugs bit at them and made them itchy, while the large bugs came into their camp and ate their food and attacked them. And not just that, but the actual training was horrible. Being forced to go on hikes into the hills, where often times people would collapse from dehydration and malnutrition. Being forced to spar with other recruits. Forced to eat food to harden the body of the recruits. It was horrible, but it refined the recruits into warriors. After basic training, it was to advanced training. Nerwaye was sent into magical training. As if she even needed it. She was already a skilled mage, but the training helped to increase her magical potential. But, Oldon was sent to even more physical training. The training for him got even worse.

But a month after their training started, it ended. All of the surviving recruits came out of that training camp stronger and in better shape. Nerwaye was glowing with magical potential, having been more skilled in Destruction magic. Oldon, however, looked much different. He had bulked up considerably, and he had become incredibly strong.

"Gods, you look different." Nerwaye told Oldon.

"You've grown a lot of muscles." Nerwaye added.

"No idea why. Maybe it's what they fed me." Oldon said.

"Hey, you two, get your things packed...you're off to Cyrodiil." The trainer said.

"Nerwaye, you're going right now. Big-Paws, you're leaving tomorrow. Get on it." The trainer said.

They were off. Nerwaye packed up what little she had: a letter to Sola, begging her to come back, that her family still loved her, and she did not need to run away. The trip would be long. A long time on a wagon venturing through Valenwood, and into Elsweyr, and only then would they be in Cyrodiil. Along with other soldiers, Nerwaye left. She was slated to become a battlemage.

The next day, Oldon left. He was sent off to Cyrodiil also. However, on his way through Reaper's March, his caravan was attacked by Worm Cultists. They fought as hard as they could, but these cultists were also supported by Dremora. The Worm Cultists were untrained and were easily killed, but the Dremora were very well trained. Even though the brand new Aldmeri soldiers fought hard, they were either killed or captured. Oldon was unlucky; he was captured. Along with three other soldiers, he was brought into Coldharbour. What Oldon would have hated to see most would to see Sola in there. He knew that she had a high probability to land in there due to her ego, and her willingness to fight. Oldon knew what would happen now that he was in Coldharbour; he had heard the stories. He and the other soldiers would have their souls taken away and they would all be forced to slave away endlessly, creating machinations of war for Molag Bal.

Meanwhile, Nerwaye arrived in Cyrodiil. She was immediately sent out into the battlefield. Life there was difficult. Constant groups of Ebonheart and Daggerfall soldiers rushing them. If that already was not enough, there were also Imperial forces, alongside Worm Cult, and all other manner of always-hostile more neutralized people, like Dremora, or goblins. Soldiers would die constantly, and survival was a struggle. Nerwaye had no idea how many enemy soldiers she had killed, and how many around her had died. There were too many to count. The bodies piled up, started to rot, and the soldiers started to get sick. They had to have limbs amputated, and many of them died of their wounds.

Eventually, after what seemed like months, but was really only a month, Nerwaye came back from the battlefield. She was in terrible shape. Her magicka font was forever changed. Both massively increased from continual use, but stunted in regeneration forever from her stress and the terrible shape her body was in. She was tired. She felt as if she could sleep for days. She did; she slept for as long as her body allowed her: an hour at a time. She would sleep for an hour, wake up, her eyes would bounce about frantically, and she would have adrenaline flow through her body, as she searched for the next victim of magical fury, but then, she realised that for the next month, she was not in a complete warzone. She was in peace; she needed peace; she needed to be peaceful.

Then, one day, she was looking around, then, she felt faint. She fell down. Her heart burned; her brain burned. It was as if it was on fire. She screamed for help as loudly as she could. Nerwaye knew that it was probably some kind of magicka-induced attack, and she had had small ones before, but none this severe. It was painful, and her cries seemed to fall on no ears.

Then, someone heard her cries. They quickly ran off, shouting. A few seconds later, but what seemed like an eternity to Nerwaye, people started to emerge from all around. They all gathered in a circle and stared down at her. Nobody knew how to help. But Nerwaye heard people calling for medics, and hopefully someone would arrive soon.

A mage arrived, not a medic. The instant Nerwaye saw the Altmer arriving, she knew who it was: Sola. Nerwaye was both angry and heartbroken. Sola knelt down beside Nerwaye, and did not even bat an eyelash. Sola looked as if she had already seen this a thousand times, and she looked rather annoyed by being put into the spot of resolving this situation.

"Let's see here. Looks like magicka-induced sickness. My guess is that this girl's right out of combat and isn't used to using so little magicka." Sola said.

Sola looked no different. Same short hair, same bright green eyes, but her clothes were stained blood-red, with blotches of gray and tarnished white. She appeared bright as always, but her clothes contrasted that.

"Is she going to die?" A Bosmer asked.

"No! Well...it depends on how much magicka built up she has." Sola answered.

"If I were to just leave her here, her insides would work up a storm, possibly quite literally, and it would probably kill her." Sola said.

"Of course, that would be the wrong thing to do." Sola added.

"Come on, girl, let's get you fixed. War's changed you, rookie." Sola said.

Sola prepared a few Restoration spells, and let them loose onto Nerwaye. The pain quickly subsided, and her heart and brain slowed down their pace, and the magicka stopped flowing so rapidly. It was a moment of pure relief. Sola looked down with understanding pity, for once in her life. Likely, she had gone through similar effects, but not as severe.

"Come on, get up, soldier. You thought that was bad, and I'll let you know that it's worse to other races." Sola said.

"Sola...it's been too long." Nerwaye said, getting up.

"Hm? Do I know you?" Sola asked.

"It hasn't even been long. It's me." Nerwaye said.

Sola looked puzzled for a few moments. She even put a hand up to her chin, and squinted a bit, then, shock overtook her. To most people not trained in the art of charisma, they would have been taken back, their eyes wide and aglaze, but not Sola. For her, her right eye widened slightly. She was surprised. Someone had tracked her down and found her, and her sister none-the-less.

"Nerwaye...what are you doing here?" Sola asked.

"Looking for you." Nerwaye answered.

"You joined the Dominion, went through a month on the frontlines, just to find me?" Sola asked, rather angry.

"Yes. I love you, Sola. Our parents are worried sick. I brought you their letter." Nerwaye said, feebly holding out a letter.

Sola snatched the letter and read it. It read: "Sola, our daughter, there was no need for you to run away like you did. Even with your actions, we still love you, and that will never change. Please return home. Our baby daughter is out in the cold; just let us be a family again.". The letter was not even signed. But Sola knew that her parents had written it. Tears came to her eyes, and several times she had to close them and just soak up the raw emotion. Sola kept her back straight, and her mouth silent though, careful around her sister.

"Things don't work this way, Nerwaye. I can't just go back." Sola said.

"Yes, you can! They want you to!" Nerwaye said.

"I'm not just going to go back, with my thumb up my ass, sitting at home, carving staves, reading books, and sewing clothes all day, being their good little girl! I'm an adult, and I'm being one! I'm being self-accountable and responsible! They need to let me go!" Sola said aggressively.

"Sola, you've broken their hearts!" Nerwaye said.

"So what?" Sola said.

"What about everyone else you left?" Nerwaye asked.

"I don't care about my old life. There's me, and I'm fine with that." Sola said.

"What about Oldon?" Nerwaye asked, hoping that would strike some kind of nerve.

"What about him?" Sola slowly asked, seething with rage.

"He went with me to find you…" Nerwaye said.

"No! You couldn't just leave me alone?" Sola asked.

"He cares for you. He's your friend, and you left him behind." Nerwaye said.

"Because he wanted more than that." Sola said.

"No, now he doesn't. He wants to make sure you are safe now." Nerwaye said.

"I don't care. Sola, this isn't up for debate anymore! I've been in a damn warzone for the past month, but before that, I went through training, and before that, I signed my life away to this military! I'll be damned if you're making me a fool and not coming back home with me, either alive, or dead!" Nerwaye said, notably in a bad mood now.

"What? With your magic? You can't even handle the amount your font has increased. Please, I've been at this for quite some time now. I've served in both Destruction squads, and Restoration squads. I'm very well equipped for any fight. And if you think about trying to cast a spell on me, I will make sure you regret it." Sola hissed.

"Sola, I'll give you one chance…" Nerwaye said.

"Empty threats...I've learned since then." Sola laughed.

Nerwaye quickly grabbed her staff and let loose a fireball. Sola quickly warded herself and absorbed the magicka. The energy was amazing to her. Sola quickly reacted with a brilliant flash of Holy Light, briefly blinding Nerwaye, then the bolt hit, and Nerwaye was severely burned in the arm.

"I'm more than a destruction mage. I can heal too." Nerwaye taunted.

Nerwaye quickly healed her searing burn. Sola quickly obliged to cool it off, casting a cloud of ice to her. The battle went on and on. Nerwaye was relentless with her bouts of storm, fire, and ice magic. While Sola used her incredible skill in light magic, alongside other Destruction magic. When Nerwaye was injured, she would quickly heal up with restoration magic. Sola would generally be able to block a spell before it impacted, but when a spell did hit her, she would often invoke the power of Meridia or Azura, and heal herself. But it was evident to both Sola and Nerwaye that Nerwaye was more skilled at Destruction magic. The fight went on and on, with the massive pools of magicka that the two sisters had sustaining them.

"Come on, little sister, you wish you had my potency for fire." Nerwaye taunted.

"Okay, okay, I can give you that: you're skilled with contemporary Destruction. You can't cast a Light spell, or any kind of Templaric spell though." Sola laughed.

"So what? I can kill you, but I don't want to! Just come with me back home." Nerwaye said.

"You think you can actually kill me? You have no idea!" Sola laughed, with Nerwaye mistaking it for bravado.

"I guess that I have to fulfill your taunt, Sola. Sorry, but it's the way it is...you're not listening. I just have to kill you. At least one less Daedra worshiper." Nerwaye coldly said with finality.

Nerwaye cast a final spell. She channeled her storm magic, and unleashed a very powerful storm on Sola. The cloud descended upon her. And it grew dark in there. Then, after a few seconds, the storm dissipated. Sola was still standing, in a holy covering of Meridia's light. Sola dispelled her shield, and out shot shards of materialized light, covering the ground with it's hot fire. Sola decided to channel her own spell worthy of her sister's demise.

Sola started to float as the spell between her hands grew a dark blood red. Sola's eyes looked to Magnus as it dimmed in the sky. Then she looked to the ground, and her eyes appeared to glow red. Sola unleashed the spell. It flew to Nerwaye quickly and siphoned her lifeforce. The pure life force, in a hue of red, floated to Sola, where it flew into her heart. But Sola hesitated. She would not kill her sister. The channel ended, and the lifeforce stopped its transfer. Nerwaye fell to the ground, out of breath and energy. She looked older, as if she had just aged. She looked and sounded as if she had just sprinted from the other side of Cyrodiil. She could barely stay on all fours, and was about to collapse.

"I want you to see who's the merciful one." Sola said.

"What...what have you done?" Nerwaye asked.

"I'm skilled in all schools of magic. Including Daedric and Vampiric." Sola flaunted.

"Now, I want you to remember this. Who I am, and why I should not return home." Sola said, running off.

In that moment, Sola realised what she had done. She had taken the life of her sister, and now Sola was cursed to live out those stolen years. Her eyes started to tear up, and she had to go. She had made such a bad decision to teach her sister a lesson, and to display her magical superiority. Sola wanted to blame her Altmer heritage, wanted to blame her sister, her parents, anyone but herself, but in the end, she knew that the only one to blame was herself and her own pursuit for knowledge. She felt as if she had to atone. One way or another, Sola felt too guilty, and she had to help her sister, and that she had to make it up to her somehow, or at least try to do so.

Finally, freedom. Oldon found himself in Vulkhel Guard. Right out of Coldharbour, miraculously being rescued, but not before his soul was stolen after he was sacrificed. He did some asking around, and eventually found out that Sola had been here. She had gone to Khenarthi's Roost. Oldon had it set that he would find her, even if it meant hunting her down.

Hunt her down he did. From Khenarthi's Roost, back to Auridon. From there, he followed her trail of breadcrumbs all across Tamriel. From Grahtwood to Bangkorai. Oldon had the question on how she had managed to travel all across Tamriel. Eventually, he tracked her back to Cyrodiil. All that time, tracking her down, searching for her, in the end, she was back where she was probably going to be the whole time.

That was enough already to make Oldon rather angry. But he had kept his calm. His adventures had made him incredibly strong in body, mind, and spirit. And now, despite all of the previous distractions, he was set on completing his original task: find Sola. Oldon searched around Cyrodiil when he could, but being officially part of the Dominion Military made his freedom to search relatively difficult. So Oldon bid his time. He waited and waited, looking around where he was stationed. Eventually, months later, Oldon had given up his search. If Sola could hide so well, then she deserved her privacy and right to be alone.

So Oldon decided to go and have a drink one night. Months of combat had given Oldon the feeling that he deserved a drink. He went into the local tavern to go and grab a drink, and to get drunk and numb his problems away. When he sat down, he quickly ordered a tankard of beer, and it arrived to him rather quickly. Oldon drank it just as quickly. He then looked around to see if anyone was watching him, before he went and ordered another one. He looked to his right, and there was nobody. Then he looked to his left, and, it was nobody other than Sola.

A few years of searching, and numerous injuries and hardships, and only when he stopped looking for Sola, did she finally appear. That certainly was frustrating. Oldon tried to say something to her, but the words failed to come out of his mouth.

"Oh, you're here…" Sola said, expecting an admonishment.

"Sola, I've searched for years for you." Oldon said, releasing a breath of relief.

"You too?" Sola said, rather annoyed at that notion.

"Nerwaye and I left home to find you. You've avoided us." Oldon said.

"I found Nerwaye several months ago. I can't say the reunion went too well. Who am I kidding? It went horribly." Sola said, taking a sip at her drink.

"Why did it go so wrong?" Oldon asked, talking with Sola as if they had seen each other last a few days ago.

"Well, we got into an argument...and it escalated. I don't back down from a challenge. She challenged me, and I didn't care that she was my sister. I was going to teach her why you don't try and fight Sola Auroron." Sola said, progressively getting more emotional.

"Sola...you'd kill your own sister?" Oldon said in disappointment.

"I didn't kill her! I wouldn't. I can't. She led me on, and she paid the price for it, and I have to live with that." Sola said, starting to cry.

"What did you do to her?" Oldon asked, getting a bit aggressive over his old partner.

"I am a very skilled mage, and she didn't want to believe me! She wanted to use her full power, and by Meridia, I showed her my full power!" Sola said.

"I stole her life, because I know Daedric magic because I am a more powerful mage and I am a more studious woman and I will not be beaten. That is why I took a hundred years of her life, and that is why I will carry that with me for the rest of my extended life!" Sola yelled, emphasizing the word 'I'.

"Sola...what happened to her?" Oldon asked.

"I went to Oblivion to get her life back! I talked to Hermaeus Mora! I talked to Molag Bal! I dirtied my hands for nothing! And the damn woman won't even talk to me!" Sola said, her anger climaxing.

"And the thing is that I can't even blame her for that." Sola softly said.

"I tried, Oldon, I tried. I want her to know that...I really do." Sola added, then starting to cry.

Oldon felt sorry for her. For some reason, despite how much his adventures across Tamriel had changed his heart. He put his arm on Sola, and she quickly collapsed on him as she let her emotions finally flow. Meanwhile, the other soldiers in the tavern were staring at them.

"She's my sister...I love her. I wouldn't want to put her through that...it was a mistake...I got out of control, and she's going to pay for it." Sola cried.

"Sola, I've gone from Auridon to Bangkorai searching for you. I was worried. Nerwaye was worried, and she went to Cyrodiil for you. Your parents were worried sick about you. Who knows how they are now...and all this time it's taken...now you've realized what it is that you've done wrong…" Oldon said, rather coldly.

"Don't try to make yourself out to be the victim." Oldon added.

Sola looked up, her reservoir of tears suddenly dried up. She did not like that she was being challenged in her time of weakness.

"Who are you to say that I'm not the victim? I've been in Cyrodiil, and the rest of Tamriel, for years! I've seen things that would make most women go insane, and yet I've lived to tell the tale." Sola said.

"Sola, Sola, who says you aren't insane?" Oldon asked.

"Of anyone, Oldon, I figured you'd understand the most. I knew you, I called you my friend. And you even thought more of me." Sola said, her words becoming poisonous and biting.

"You bring that up?" Oldon asked angrily.

"I got over you! What would make you think that I would still want you after you hurt your family like you have?" Oldon asked.

"Then why did you look for me? Unless, of course...my sister…" Sola said, taking a break to laugh.

"Sola, I don't want to say it, but I'm bringing you back home one way or another. Whether you come willingly, or I bring you dead, I will bring you back! The amount of trouble you have caused, you need to go back home." Oldon said.

"What trouble?" Sola asked.

"I've been following you. Don't think I don't know about the destruction in your wake." Oldon said.

"War is war. I have no regrets." Sola said.

"Come on, I am taking you back home no matter what you think." Oldon said, setting a paw on Sola's shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A soldier asked.

"This woman needs to return to her family." Oldon answered.

"Well, she needs to stay here. She burns the bodies. Who else would do the job without her?" A soldier asked.

"Well, I actually purify the bodies, not just burn them." Sola said.

"That girl's saved my life in battle. She's not going anywhere." Another soldier said.

The other soldiers, most of which had grown fond of Sola's usefulness in Restoration magic, had started to crowd around the pair. It was obvious that the soldiers did not want Sola to go, and they would make sure that would happen.

"Ooh, Oldon, sorry. It looks like I can't go. I'm wanted here. Unlike...I don't know...you." Sola said.

"You are so much different than I remember." Oldon said.

"Not really. I mean, I'm the same. But war brings out that inner self in you that you didn't know you had." Sola said.

Oldon had a great idea in his head. Being soul-shriven, he knew it was impossible for him to die. He would use this to his advantage. He would challenge Sola to a duel, and whoever lost would have their way be done. Little did he know that Sola was also soul-shriven. Oldon's point was that he would not let Sola's parents know that their daughter had led a life, which in Oldon's narrow opinion, was so deviant from what they had been taught, and in all of the training in the Summerset Isles, it was only natural to take the justice of a Daedra worshiper in his own hands.

"Fine. We can settle this like soldiers: with a fight." Oldon said.

"Easy." Sola said.

"To the death." Oldon continued.

"So sure of yourself? I can kill you with a thought." Sola said.

"I think the rules are self-explanatory." Oldon said.

"Right. We'll do this outside." Sola said, finishing her drink and running outside.

The two went outside, with a crowd of soldiers following along. The two went and faced each other, and left one another with some final words.

"I'll give you one last chance to stand down. I really don't want to kill you." Sola said.

"Same here." Oldon said.

There was a silence.

"Well, so be it. Strike first." Sola said, throwing down her bag and grabbing a staff.

Oldon felt the energy of lightning flow through his bones. He channeled the energy and let loose a shock spell. It was weak, just like his connection to most magic. Sola quickly ducked under the spell. Sola decided to also throw out a weak spell, just to humor him. Sola cast a small ball of ice out to Oldon. Oldon figured that now he had set a bar for Sola to expect, and from there, he would break that bar and show his true power. The energy of the lightning grew only stronger. Oldon would still have to hold back though, so he grabbed a sword he had with him and charged. Sola had seen that coming from far away, so she readied a shock spell, and unleashed the gauntlet of storm magic. Oldon knew that was next. He channeled the incoming spell; he knew how shock magic worked, and it was as if it was a part of him. The electricity ran through him, and only through great talent did he absorb the spell, and multiply its potency within him. He let loose a stronger version of Sola's spell right to her. Sola was surprised, and the countered spell was going to impact her, but Sola, with all her Altmer intelligence and foresight, had prepared just in case. She set her staff to face the incoming spell, and when it hit the spell, the gem of the staff absorbed the magicka, and let it loose harmlessly in a dispersed version of the spell.

"What in Oblivion? You were never a good mage." Sola said.

"Things change." Oldon said.

Sola let loose another shock spell, trying to see if shock magic was just something Oldon understood. In addition, Sola quickly cast a net of Annulment to protect her. The strong shock spell was absorbed by Oldon, who quickly shot it back at her. Sola's spell shield quickly absorbed the attack. Sola figured from now, shock magic would be pointless to use against him, and that was fine. Sola figured that she would let him down easily, and just use Destruction magic, and avoid the more apocryphal and lesser-known schools. Sola was letting loose bolts of fire, and gauntlets of ice, and Oldon quickly summoned shock-armor to absorb the attacks. This obviously frustrated Sola who quickly switched to her stronger schools of magic.

"What is it? Can't hurt me?" Oldon taunted, charging forward.

"Stop!" Sola said, casting a spell, rooting Oldon in place.

Sola charged up a gauntlet of holy fire, and let it loose onto Oldon while he was stuck in place. Oldon, however, was able to escape at the last second, and dodge. Had he been hit by the attack, he would have been killed. Good thing he was also soul-shriven. Oldon countered by attacking Sola from the front. Sola was just able to block the powerful attack with her staff, and her staff was splintered into pieces. Sola only got more angry from that. She called upon her magic, and she summoned a holy aura of light, and she quickly dispelled it, throwing Oldon back from her, and then, she used her power to summon a holy spear, and then she charged.

Oldon quickly got back on his feet and dodged the charge, and threw Sola to the ground when she missed. Sola flew back up quickly in a whirlwind of fire, and then she threw the holy spear into the ground, then detonated it, and it shattered shards of light everywhere. Sola used that distraction to tackle Oldon, and got on top of him.

"Do you still want to die?" Sola hissed.

"I'm not dying." Oldon said.

Sola charged up another spell of holy fire, but Oldon quickly disintegrated into lightning and reappeared close by. If not for the rest of that Annulment field being up still, Sola would have been injured greatly. Sola quickly reinforced her magical barrier and summoned another holy spear, and was mentally preparing for another spell of holy light. Oldon, on the other hand, channeled his full potential, and let out the roar of a lion, and he charged.

Sola knew she would be in trouble if she just let him attack. Sola knew how to win any fight, and this was no exception. Sola's conjured spear turned to black, and her holy aura of light blackened. Sola stopped Oldon in his tracks with a single word of power. She set her hands in all number of motions, and then, a portal opened, and out came a Dremora, armed with a massive greatsword.

"Vyrkyl, attack him." Sola commanded, readying another spell.

The Dremora charged, and swept the floor with his sword, forcing Oldon to jump to dodge, but then Sola quickly let loose holy fire, and Oldon was burned. The Dremora then used that to slam Oldon into the floor, and crush one of Oldon's legs with a single stomp, then he prepared to kill him. The Dremora had his greatsword right over Oldon's heart, and he prepared to stab him.

"Wait. I'm not going to kill him." Sola said, trying to pretend to be the better person.

"Sola, what's happened to you?" Oldon asked.

"I've found my true power. You've found yours, I've found mine." Sola said.

The soldiers who had been watching the fight were now terrified of the massive Dremora who had appeared. Some ran off quickly, others cowered in fear close by, but a few were entertained by the summoning.

"Now, I want you to remember this power. I'm not bringing this back home." Sola said.

"Can I go?" Vyrkyl, the Dremora, asked, as if he was not enjoying this.

"Hold on." Sola said.

Sola quickly ran over to Vyrkyl and awkwardly tried to hug him.

"Thanks for the help." Sola said.

"Again with the touching?" Vyrkyl said loudly.

"Hey, I'm trying to be nice. I'm not all mean like other people. I'm not going to burn you to death right after I've summoned you." Sola said.

"You might as well, this is the same." Vyrkyl said.

"Not as if you haven't killed me after you've summoned me." Vyrkyl said.

"I'm in a good mood today. Just go back." Sola said, opening another portal.

"Right. I can't wait for the extra shift I get for being summoned." Vyrkyl said, walking back to Coldharbour.

"Yeah, and I'll keep on summoning you!" Sola yelled.

"Hey, don't give me that look! Get back here!" Sola continued, throwing out firebolts into the portal.

When the portal closed, Sola stared at where it was for a second, and then moved onto the next situation requiring attention. She knelt down by Oldon, who was writhing in pain from his beatdown.

"It's good to see you again." Sola said, smiling, as if she had just forgotten the past events.

"What?...what is going on?" Oldon asked.

"Sorry if Vyrkyl got a bit out of hand. He's used to killing." Sola said.

"Get away from me!" Oldon exclaimed, trying to move, but in too much pain.

"By the Eight... just let me heal you." Sola said, readying a healing spell.

"It's still me." Sola promised.

Sola quickly finished up healing Oldon. Oldon quickly got back up, and took a good look at Sola. She had not changed. She still had her short hair, large green eyes, and little smile on. How could this innocent-looking Altmer hold such dark power within her? Just minutes before, she had unleashed shadowed Templaric magic and Daedric magic, and the light around her turn black. But then he looked back on himself. Just months ago, he was a simple Khajiit on a journey to find Sola, and now, he was a battle-hardened Dominion marine. The two even shared strange uses for magic. Oldon figured it was best to keep all of his thoughts in his head, to prevent Sola from possibly getting angry.

Still, Oldon was amazed at the fact that Sola had this power. Sola could look innocent when she wanted to, like she was just now. Those green eyes had the effect to pierce souls, or gently blink and shimmer. Her hair gave her the feeling of playfulness, and looked so soft and bouncy, and so welcoming and friendly. There was no evil side to her hair. Even Sola's voice. It could be a nice welcoming soft timbre, but she could easily shift to to commanding and loud. Her skin seemed so soft and bright. Sola surely was beautiful, just like her sister. Oldon then found himself falling back into old habits that he had fallen into before. Last time he had fallen into these habits, Sola ended up running off. Oldon caught himself before his mind wandered further.

"You alright there?" Sola asked, with Oldon being unaware he had been doing nothing for a few minutes.

"I've thought about it. I'll see what I can do." Sola said.

"Come on, I still need to finish my drink." Sola said, walking back to the tavern.

Oldon followed Sola back to the tavern. There, they were able to talk without fighting one another again. Sola seemed to have been in a much better mood, and had become rather talkative instead of all sad like she was an hour before. The two drank and talked through the night before parting their separate ways.

Discussion of "The Chosen of the Storm"

We get to see the sisterhood between Sola and Nerwaye throughout the story. Nerwaye helps her parents look for her sister, and she ends up making the life-changing choice of joining the Aldmeri Dominion's fighting forces in order to help search. She did not take the decision heavily, both her and Oldon. She thought Sola might be in Cyrodiil, so she left to go to Cyrodiil. From here, we can tell just how much Nerwaye loves Sola. They are sisters, and Nerwaye will scour the corners of Tamriel for her. Then again, we see the two sisters when they are at a rough spot, again. We see physical fighting and sourness from both of them. This accurately portrays the relationship that the two sisters had for so long until they eventually got over their differences. As we will see later on, fighting is normal until they again become sisters.

Then we have Oldon. It is implied that Oldon did not go search for Sola because he genuinely wanted her back at home as much as it is that Oldon searched for her because he wanted to show his love for her, although love might be a bit of a strong term. Oldon ventures across Tamriel in search of Sola, only to find her sitting in a tavern in Cyrodiil, right where he should have checked first.

After Oldon gets recruited into the Aldmeri Dominion, he is ambushed by Worm Cultists, who were followers of the necromancer Mannimarco, who was a servant of Molag Bal. There, Oldon gets killed, and his soul gets taken. This sounds very much like he was the Vestige. But then again, we have Sola who appears as if she could be the Vestige. While we know very little about who the Vestige really was, we know for sure that there was only one of them.

If there cannot be two, then which one was the Vestige, or were neither of them the Vestige? Something we have to consider involves how the Vestige leaves Coldharbour. After being sacrificed by Mannimarco, they are broken out of the Wailing Prison in Coldharbour. We know that Sola broke out in that event, but Sola was not sacrificed by Mannimarco, rather she had a different procedure. If we assume that time flows linearly, then that means that Oldon could not be the Vestige, because then he would not have been broken out. So, it would seem as if the Vestige was present with Sola at the prison, somewhere. Of course, then I must bring in the one thing that throws out all logic: the Dragon Break.

The Second Era Dragon Break easily throws all of this out of the window, and into the refuse-lined streets. It is very possible, simply because of the Dragon Break, that Oldon is the Vestige. However, as it turns out, we have countless descriptions of people who fit the same bill as Oldon and Sola. People who fit the exact same requirements, and that makes it impossible to say who is or is not the Vestige. Sola, as it turns out, in my opinion, is one of the top contenders for the Vestige, because her ascension granted her unparalleled power, which would have allowed her to attack Molag Bal.

"The Chosen of the Storm" is the first time we really get to see Sola described up close, and that trend starts to continue on from there. We get a good description of features that remain undeniably 'Sola'. The big green eyes, bobbed brown hair, light skin, pink lips, purple clothes. I would be lying if I said there were not people in my family who looked like Sola.

Something I would like to point out, though, is that there is a difference in appearance between Sola Auroron and Magna-Sola. Differences which will be discussed later.

"Back to the Family"

Now, we continue with the story. There is a notable time gap between the end of "The Chosen of the Storm" and "Back to the Family". The first time I read this novel, I will admit that I was taken aback by the name. It certainly lacks the most impactful title, but the story it tells is a great, heartwarming, humorous story.

Something to point out is that the story has now taken a lighter turn. Nothing is as serious anymore. Unlike the past three entries, which were rather serious, "Back to the Family" no longer deals with violent, grave threats. Now, the plot has taken a peaceful turn. It is much more comparable to "The Start of an Adventure" than it is to any of the other ones.

There is missing information that occurs between "Back to the Family" and "The Chosen of the Storm". The information, just like what lead up to "To Coldharbour", occurs in the form of letters. During the letter gap, we find out that Sola has been living a peaceful life. Whereas before, she was in combat, healing and attacking, Sola has taken a seat in the War. She has started to purify bodies instead of create bodies. In the name of Meridia, she purifies them, and to help her is her servant, Vyrkyl.

Another important plot point that is necessary to know before reading is that Sola's sister, Nerwaye, has gotten pregnant. While at this point, she has had the child, she is still unmarried. That is to say she has a bastard child. Because of that child, Nerwaye has a deteriorated quality of life. Thankfully, being one of her descendants, I have access to a few of the family's historical documents. Those were vital in adding supplemental information. As it turns out, Nerwaye was going through many of the things Sola had gone through before.

Sola used to have an alcohol addiction, as evidenced by letters. I assume it was started out of guilt from attacking her sister. As it turns out though, through reading excerpts of her personal logbook, turned pseudo-diary, she had developed alcohol addiction, become depressed, and was not in a good position in her life; I read that she was contemplating suicide. So, it just so happens that Nerwaye's personal journal was dated by the month. She only had a few entries a month, so I scavenged what I could from it. There is a significant shift in her diary's entries after "Back to the Family" occurs, which allows me to put a month-wide constraint on the date.

Who we know less about during this time is Oldon. As far as I know, he was just serving in Cyrodiil. Thankfully, through Nerwaye's little log, I could tell that Nerwaye and Oldon knew that they were stationed at the same gate to Cyrodiil, and they occasionally met up. But Sola was still rather mysterious to them, the two of them having not seen her in several months.

Months went by. Sola had been fighting regularly in the Three Banners War, and been purifying bodies when she was not doing that. The work never got to her. She had plenty of time to think and practice magic with her tasks. And, whenever she got to the point that she was unable to fight or work anymore, she would just take a minute to herself, and summon Vyrkyl, and she would command him to do her jobs for her. Often times, it was not unusual to see a Dremora slashing down soldiers and other Daedra when Sola was around. And there were more than a few times when superior officers came to her hut in Cyrodiil to deliver more bodies, and there was a Dremora in armor working at setting fires and preparing dead bodies. Whether or not Meridia would approve of this, Sola did not think about, or really care about. That was one of those days though.

"Grand Warlord Sorcalin, where are we going?" A Bosmer soldier asked the Grand Warlord.

"Well, this soldier does the task of purifying bodies. I wish to notify her of her new promotion personally." Grand Warlord Sorcalin answered.

The two were riding a horse-drawn carriage out into Cyrodiil's countryside to find Sola. After a few hours, they came upon a raggedy hut with a tent set up right next to it. It was right next to a river. They drew closer and closer.

"Right. Let me deliver the news to her." Grand Warlord Sorcalin said, stepping out of the carriage with a decree in her hand and approaching the hut with the Bosmer following behind.

"Will Tyro Sola Auroron please come out?" Grand Warlord Sorcalin asked, knocking on the hut door, and looking at his decree for Sola's name.

"Who is it?" Sola asked, throwing open the door.

Sola had her hair tied back, and she was wearing previously-white clothes that had been stained by blood months ago. She did not look specifically entertained by her new visitors. Regardless, she hoped that the two visitors took no care to Vyrkyl working in the hut, and he was gathering ashes into urns.

"Oh, Grand Warlord, how may I be of service?" Sola asked, straightening up.

"Are you...Miss Auroron?" The Grand Warlord asked.

"Well, I have a sister." Sola said.

"Sola Auroron? Tyro Sola Auroron?" The Grand Warlord asked.

"That's me." Sola answered.

"Right. I have come to present you with the glorious announcement of your promotion from Tyro to Legionary." The Grand Warlord announced.

"Legionary? I am sorry Warlord, but with all my hard work? Only Legionary? I thought you were just holding out on me." Sola said.

"Now, let us not get too presumptuous. There are a lot of hard working soldiers who do more than you." The Bosmer said.

"Well, I'll take what I can get. I guess." Sola said.

"Good. We have your ceremony in two days. I hope you can show up; of course, that is only if you are caught up on your work." The Grand Warlord said.

"Don't worry about that. I have it handled." Sola said.

"Before I forget, I have a reward for you, for your great healing from the battle of Castle Alessia." The Grand Warlord said, taking out a leather sack which held Sola's prize.

"Yeah, too bad I didn't qualify for the battle participation." Sola said with a grain of salt.

"You were listed as missing in action. You are lucky you got anything at all." The Grand Warlord said, handing over the prize.

"Well, thanks. I guess." Sola said.

"Wait, before we go, who is that in there with you?" The Bosmer asked.

Vyrkyl looked up. He did not have his helmet on, so the two others saw that he was a Dremora. They looked at first with an inquisitive nature, which quickly became one of fear when they saw Vyrkyl reach over to his greatsword which lay on a table.

"Miss...Auroron...who is that?" The Grand Warlord asked, still looking down at the decree for her name.

"My servant." Sola answered.

"Does he serve Molag Bal? You know that Dremora are dangerous to communicate with. Especially now." Sorcalin said.

"He serves me. Now get out before I get him to serve you two to me on a platter!" Sola said.

"Grand Warlord, I would find it wise to leave." The Bosmer said.

"Right, I think I have a meeting to get to." The Grand Warlord said, the two of them running off.

Sola quickly threw the situation just given to her away. She took her treasure bag and brought it inside with her. What could possibly lay within the bag? Sola had gotten several of these before. Not much of significance. The gold was nice, but not much else. The leather bag was probably more useful than anything, to Sola.

"They can't just leave me alone." Sola said, dragging the bag in.

"One day, they are going to do something about me being here, and I do not want to kill them." Vyrkyl said.

"They're afraid." Sola said.

"Ugh, well, let's see what I got today." Sola said.

Sola opened the bag. Out came a cloth sack of gold. Not much, but it was nice to have. Not as if it mattered. Sola only really used gold to buy fresh produce, and the merchants who sold it sold it at outrageous prices which amounted to nearly the amount of two hundred gold pieces she got for one apple. Needless to say, Sola got fruit from nearby farms that were vacant. Also, out of the bag, came a pair of thick cloth gloves.

"Akatosh's wings! I can sew myself something if I want gloves!" Sola said.

"You want them?" Sola asked Vyrkyl.

"I have an armory of the best weapons and armor made by Dremora smiths at my disposal. I have no need of mortal creations." Vyrkyl answered.

"Well...I...no...damn, lost what I was going to say." Sola said.

"Well, these go with the other pointless gifts." Sola said, throwing the gloves into a chest full of weapons and armor, none of which were used.

"Right, so what else happened? Anything I need to know about?" Vyrkyl asked.

"Yeah. I'm Legionary Sola Auroron now." Sola answered.

"I think the advancement up mortal war hierarchy is more competitive than ours." Vyrkyl said.

"Tell me about it. We've worked our asses off for a long time." Sola said.

"So, I'm getting promoted in two days. I'm heading to the gates. I'm going to need you to do the duty while I'm gone." Sola said.

"What?! I go from working in Coldharbour for a brutal shift, then I get summoned here by you for another shift just as long, and then I come back to Coldharbour, and work another one because I disappeared while working!" Vyrkyl said.

"So what?" Sola asked.

"I enjoy not working." Vyrkyl said.

"Relax. Unless the Pact decides to try to take over another fort again, we're all caught up." Sola said.

"So tell your buddies to hold it off for a few days." Sola added.

"You are very fortunate I have no choice in this." Vyrkyl said.

"Well, I did say we were all caught up. Just a bit of waiting around to do before I jar the ashes. I'll let you go early." Sola said.

"Finally." Vyrkyl said.

"I'll summon you if I need or want anything." Sola said, opening a portal for Vyrkyl.

"I hope you don't." Vyrkyl said.

"Oh, yeah, and tomorrow, can you nab some spices for me? I'm almost out." Sola asked.

"...your will compels me." Vyrkyl said, running back to Coldharbour.

Sola closed the portal and went to a chair to relax for a few minutes. Finally she had a few minutes without work. Sola just sat and enjoyed the silence for a few moments, before getting up and getting to doing things she actually wanted to do. Sola started by washing her hands well, and then getting changed. She let her hair down and washed her face. Sola then dug through her food chest to find a morsel to eat. She found some pork loin, and she ate it. It was bland. She needed to improve on her cooking, but she did not have the motivation or time. When she was done with eating, she went to inspecting her staves. Those fine magical staves were usually in good shape. Sola quickly gave a little test to them for magical potency, and they all passed. Then Sola figured it was at least time to start preparing for her promotion. It was getting dark out, however. Sola quickly made a fire outside for her enjoyment, and moved a mat outside. The fire lit up the little camp Sola called home. Sola brought out her purple dress outside to ensure it was in proper shape for her promotion in a few days. Sure, it was not Dominion gold, but not as if it mattered to Sola. The dress was in fine shape.

The night grew thicker as Sola sewed new clothes and ate another snack. Other than that, she went on a brief walk around her little camp, and meditated for a little bit. It was warm outside tonight, but not too warm. Sometimes she would sleep by the fire when it was warm enough, but not today. So Sola went into her tent and climbed into her bed. In fact, her personal tent was little other than a bed, as compared to a bed roll. She tended to do everything but sleep in her other tent, used for purifying dead bodies. Sola got changed into her nightgown, and then she collapsed on her soft bed and she fell asleep under the warm, soft covers. She was breathing with life and no cares. Today seemed to have been a good day.

The next day, Sola woke up. She was hungry. Sola always kept a little bit of dried fruit and nuts around her bed, and she enjoyed a quick snack. Just as Sola forced herself to stop eating all of her bed snacks, she heard a clang of metal. She was alerted. Sola stood up, and peeked her head outside her tent. She saw nothing. Then Sola realised her mistake. She could just cast a detect life spell.

She did that. She put her head back in her tent, and tried to detect life. Lo and behold, there was a small soldier kneeling outside her tent. Almost as if he was sneaking. He was armed. He had an axe in one hand, and a shield in the other. He slowly moved towards the tent's entrance. Sola put up an Annulment field just in case. Just as the soldier moved to the tent entrance, Sola shot out of the opening, surprising the soldier.

"Can I help…" Sola started to say.

Sola had to keep herself from laughing. Crouched before her was a tiny Argonian soldier in massive heavy armor. He looked like he had been shrunk in some kind of magic accident. He was thin and gaunt, yet in massive heavy armor. Sola was just so struck by the irony that she nearly broke out in laughter. This was no laughing matter though. There was an Ebonheart Pact assassin in front of her.

"I am Ward-Scales, your assassin this day." Ward-Scales, the tiny Argonian, said.

"Excuse me?" Sola asked, still laughing.

"You underestimate me, as many others used to. They cannot underestimate now." Ward-Scales said.

"And you will think no more about me now." Ward-Scales said, attempting to pull the life out of Sola with a Siphoning spell.

The spell quickly faded with impacting Sola's Annulment field. But Sola, upon being impacted by a spell, quickly lost her laughing face. She quickly turned to her magic to deal with the intruder.

"You messed with the wrong girl." Sola said.

Sola quickly imitated the spell of Ward-Scales. She used both hands and attempted to tear the life out of him. Not just the life, but the soul. But the heavy armor managed to reflect it. And in an instant, he disappeared into the air. Sola knew it was some kind of invisibility trick. She quickly used a Detect Life spell again, and quickly could see where he went. As another precaution, Sola prepared an aura of holy light to surround her. Sola slowly turned around to find this Argonian. But the Argonian quickly pounced her. But Sola had a fast reaction time, and she quickly detonated the holy light around her, sending Ward-Scales flying back into the fire.

"Oh! That's unfortunate. Let me put you out." Sola said.

Sola unleashed a flurry of frost spells. It was impressive, seeing as she lacked a staff with her. Ward-Scales, however, did not even flinch. He rolled himself out of the fire, and shook off the frost. Sola was amazed that he had that much tenacity. She could tell that he was some form of Nightblade. She had seen many among the fields of Cyrodiil, but none with this kind of resistance to damage. Ward-Scales threw his axe at Sola. She barely managed to dodge out of the way, in doing so dirtying her nightgown. Sola unleashed a fire spell, and Ward-Scales shook if off. Sola then had an idea.

"Well, you're done. Don't wear metal armor against a storm mage." Sola said.

Sola unleashed a gauntlet of storm magic. It shocked Ward-Scales in his place for a moment, but he kept on persevering and moving closer towards Sola. Sola kept her spell going in one hand, and prepared an Aedric Spear in the other. When Ward-Scales got close, she swung it in front of her, infusing it with lightning. It was able to knock him on the ground. Sola prepared her spear to finish the intruder, but he slid away right before it impacted him. He grabbed hold of the spear and swung Sola onto the floor with it. Sola quickly reacted by detonating the spear. It exploded and left shards of light. Ward-Scales was still unphased. When he prepared to slam Sola with his shield as she was on the floor, Sola detonated her light aura again, and Ward-Scales went flying a few meters away. Sola got up, readied another Aedric Spear, and charged. But Ward-Scales disappeared, but Sola quickly detected him, and she threw her spear, but it missed. Sola was starting to get angry. Ward-Scales siphoned life from Sola from afar. She felt the energy leave her. Just like what she had done to her sister. Those lives stolen from her were not hers. But she was not going to let them go. Sola quickly used a Daedric spell to pull life right out of Ward-Scales. She took more than what was taken from her. That energy flowing through her got her pumped more than ever. She embraced the Daedric forces of magic. The holy aura of light turned dark and Sola summoned a dark Daedric Spear. She had quickly intimidated her assassin.

"You are a worthy opponent. I will concede, for now." Ward-Scales said.

"No." Sola said, charging.

Ward-Scales quickly cloaked and ran off. But Sola would not let him go so easily. She detected him and threw her spear, and when it missed, she summoned one very quickly, and threw another one. That one missed. She was angry beyond belief now. She summoned one instantly, and threw it with all the strength she had in her. It flew and collided with Ward-Scales, who managed to keep his balance. Still, even with a spear in his abdomen, he was going to live; he was that hardy. Sola would not let him go without an injury though. Sola detonated that black spear. It exploded several times harder than her Aedric Spears. It was enough to severely wound Ward-Scales, who quickly hobbled off. Sola did not feel like finishing the job, this time. She figured that if he was strong enough to survive that much magic, he deserved to fight another day.

But still, the whole encounter had already ruined Sola's day. Her nightgown was completely dirty, and she had a few scrapes from falling on the floor. She could easily close her wounds, but that nightgown? It was spidersilk, and by no means easy to clean. She would be better off making a new one. All of that hard effort buried in the ground. But, with that whole ordeal over, Sola figured that she better eat and then go back to work. Maybe that would make her day better. Sola dug through her food stores, and munched on some hard tack and ate some salted meat. It was enough to get her through until later. Sola then got dressed begrudgingly, staring at her spider silk nightgown as she put it away.

"Such a damn waste." Sola said, closing her clothes trunk.

Sola then summoned Vyrkyl and they quickly got to work. Vyrkyl continued to complain about how he had to work. Sola was not in the mood for it today. When Vyrkyl decided to complain one too many times, Sola burned him to death. Vyrkyl did have to get summoned again, but from then on, he made sure to not complain too much.

"What? Is it that special time for you?" Vyrkyl asked, stocking the crematory with fire.

"What? That has nothing to do with it!" Sola snapped.

Sola tried to stay in a silent anger for a few seconds before she talked again.

"I have a spider silk nightgown I wear to bed. It got ruined. In the morning, some Pact assassin showed up and I fought him off in it. He managed to take me to the ground a few times, and it got dirt on it." Sola said.

"I told you that you should have been operating out of a fort. That way you would not have to deal with this, and so I would not have to work with you." Vyrkyl said.

"Out here though, I have peace. I can do whatever I want. Not to mention I don't have to see Oldon or Nerwaye." Sola said.

"I thought you were on good terms with them." Vyrkyl said.

"Well, I am. I like them. But I'm sure that the next time I see them, they're going to beg me to go and see my parents." Sola said.

"Oh, and if that ever happens, you can both kill me, and you can stop working until I get back." Sola added.

"You should go see your parents." Vyrkyl said.

"Last time I saw them they wanted to arrest me for Daedra worship. I'd rather not let them see what I've become." Sola said.

"I would figure mortals would respect power. The Daedric and Dark magic you have augment your Templaric and Destruction magic." Vyrkyl said.

"Don't forget Restoration. I'm a healer. Well, I didn't want to be, but I'm one now. Those soldiers don't know that half of those spells are Daedric." Sola said.

The day continued on normally. When the work was done, Sola dismissed Vyrkyl, and since the work was done early, he was excited to leave and rest. Sola ate again, this time a larger meal, and she went to ensuring everything was ready for tomorrow. After all, she had to go travel and get ready. But, in the middle of ensuring that she had everything prepared for tomorrow, she collapsed on her bed and fell asleep. She woke up in the middle of the night to get under her covers, but other than that, she conceded to the want to sleep.

Sola woke up in the morning. It was a bit later than usual. It was fine though; she figured she needed her beauty sleep. She went to her trunk to grab her work clothes, and then she realized she was already wearing them. And upon that, she thought about why she was not wearing her nightgown. Then, she remembered why, and she quickly thought about something else so she would not get angry. Sola went and made herself a small breakfast, and then summoned Vyrkyl.

"Good morning." Sola said, finishing her tea from a tankard.

"Later than usual." Vyrkyl said.

"There isn't much to do today. I'll leave you to it. You just need to finish packing the ashes into urns." Sola said.

"What are you doing?" Vyrkyl asked.

"I'm getting ready for tomorrow." Sola answered.

"When you get done, just stay around camp. I won't be around to summon you." Sola said.

"So, I'll leave you to it." Sola said, going back to her tent.

Sola had a long list of things to do to get ready. First, though she figured she would bathe. Bathing was not an easy task. The river was a bit downstream from some of the encampments and bases that the Aldmeri Dominion used. Sola tried to avoid going there as much as she could. But, she had to keep clean, and if that meant going into water that was very likely urinated into upstream, then so be it. Sola took off her clothes and quickly got into the water with her bar of soap.

Meanwhile, Vyrkyl gathered the ashes of the bodies that had just been burned after purification. There were several things that he could do this the ashes, all of which were following Sola's orders. Often times, it depended on the cause of death, race, and allegiance of the person. Sola was sent bodies from the battlefields, and it did not matter who they were, usually. If the body could be identified, which was usually the case with an Altmer body, the ashes would be collected and sent back to the family. But most of the bodies were from Pact and Covenant, and it was not often that a body was identified, so Sola, and by extension Vyrkyl, or any helper that Sola might have had, would be forced to send the ashes down the river. The whole purpose of Sola's whole operation was to prevent any corruption from the undead or Daedric forces. So, Vyrkyl took the ashes all in one wheelbarrow. They were all from a variety of Ebonheart Pact soldiers from a recent battle, with many Argonians in it. Vyrkyl was disgusted by the large wheelbarrow full of ashes. There was a breeze, so there were ashes blowing all throughout the breeze.

Vyrkyl finally made it to the river. He had finally lugged that wheelbarrow full of scaly ashes, and was prepared to dump it all into the river, and go back to the tent, and hope that he would be able to relax. But, he would be very surprised. There Sola was, bathing herself, well, at this time, she was just relaxing in the water. Vyrkyl was shocked for a moment, but he ignored her completely, and still went down to the river to dump off the ashes. Sola, however, looked up, and saw him.

"What the…?! Are you here to…?!" Sola asked, rather shocked.

"No! I have these ashes…" Vyrkyl tried to explain.

"Get away!" Sola screamed.

Sola shot shock spells out from her hand. Vyrkyl turned into the exact thing he was transporting: ashes. Sola quickly recovered from her brief lapse to violence. She then continued her rest and relaxation in the river, alone. An hour later, she got out and got dressed again, and went back to her camp, now fresh and clean. Sola needed to summon Vyrkyl again in order to get him to continue to work.

"Oh, look, the peeper's here." Sola said.

"I was just doing my job." Vyrkyl said.

"I know. It was a joke." Sola laughed.

"Well, I think I am going to go right now. Do you think that you can handle everything?" Sola asked.

"Sure." Vyrkyl answered.

"Then, I'll leave you to it all. I have everything I need, so I'll see you later." Sola said, leaving.

Sola grabbed her bag from her personal tent, and left to go to the East Elsweyr Gate. She walked on and on. She knew it would take all day. Of course, she was a bit disappointed that she had just bathed, and now her cleanliness was ruined. Worst of all was the thought that her hair had been ruined. She tried to take care of her hair, which was surprisingly hard to do considering the amount of fire magic that Sola spat around, coupled with the amount of fights she was in. And finally, once she had the chance to wash, trim, and take care of that beautiful, brown, Elven hair, it was ruined by her walk to her promotion. Her hair was soft, bouncy, and lustrous, and the dirt blowing around in the wind on her walk dulled her hair. It made it feel so grainy and full of dirt, that she could barely stand it. She just hoped that there was some way to solve it short of either getting a wig, or finding some way to clean it just as she had done earlier.

Sola arrived as the sun started to set in the distance. She climbed up the hills, and finally made it to the gate. She was hungry and needed something to eat. Sola knocked on the gate, and it opened. She was, thankfully, let in without a question, at first. Sola walked in, and was greeted by a Khajiit soldier.

"Hold. What is your purpose here?" The guard asked.

"I have a promotion to attend tomorrow." Sola answered, showing her letter of promotion.

"Legionary? Congratulations. Have a good time." The guard said, letting Sola pass.

"Right. Where's something I can get to eat?" Sola asked.

"Tavern is over there." The guard answered, pointing out a tavern that had a lot of people lining up outside it.

"Thanks." Sola said.

Sola walked over to the tavern, and made her way as quickly as she could to the entrance. Dominion soldiers were lining up to try and pack into the crowded tavern. It must have been the night before deployment; Sola remembered doing the same thing they were likely to do: go, get drunk, and have a good time before charging into imminent doom. Sola finally walked into the crowded tavern. It was filled with the smell of alcohol, food, and people. Altmer sipped from their superior wines, while Bosmer drank their strange spirits, and Khajiit lapped away at their own drinks. Sola was trying to not drink as much as she used to, but she could not help the want to drink. Sola had her need to food first though. She walked up to the counter to order something to eat.

"Hey, can I get something to eat?" Sola asked the Bosmer barkeep.

"Of course. What can I get you?" The barkeep asked.

"I'm feeling adventurous today? Can the cook make me something Akaviri?" Sola asked.

"Probably. I'll surprise you then. Anything to drink?" The barkeep asked.

"Mead. Extra honey if you can." Sola answered.

"Day before deployment?" The barkeep asked.

"How about promotion?" Sola asked.

"I guess it's the Dominion's treat." The barkeep said.

"I'll bring your drink out to you." The barkeep said.

Sola sat down at a table. All of them were packed full of rowdy mer. Sola found a slightly more calm table, and sat there. Around her, there were two Altmer women, one drunk, and one her sober friend, and one male Altmer. Sola could tell that the male had been buying drinks in hopes that he would benefit. Sola figured he would probably get her something if she led him on enough.

"Can I sit here?" Sola asked.

"The more the merrier." The Altmer answered.

Sola sat down and ate from a bowl of nuts at the table.

"So, what did you do after the Redguard charged at you?" The drunk Altmer asked.

"I dived out of the way, and disintegrated him with shock magic." The male Altmer said.

"Really? You are...so cool." The drunk Altmer said.

"I know, I know. Next day, I got a package from the Grand Warlord, with a staff. That staff was a thousand times better than my old one." The male Altmer said.

"I wish I was that good. But all I do is go into battle and hand out poultices." The drunk Altmer said.

"Hey, can I get you a drink?" The male Altmer asked.

"Sure...sure. I could really use a good, strong drink." The drunk Altmer said.

"Come on. You're already drunk. Let me just take you back home." The sober Altmer said.

"No...no...I'm thirsty." The drunk Altmer said.

"Right. So I have a mead, extra honey, two wines, and an Akaviri fried pork." The Bosmer barkeep said, setting down the drinks and food.

"Thanks." Sola said.

The drunk female Altmer attempted to say something, but it came all out as a bunch of mumbles and sounds.

"Thank you." The male Altmer said.

Sola quickly dug into her meal. The drunk Altmer and the male Altmer continued their flirting until Sola had finished her food and drink. Sola felt like getting something else to drink. Of course, Sola had no want to pay for it.

"Come on, just stop this. You're going to do something you're going to regret." The sober female Altmer told her drunk friend, trying to keep it quiet.

"Don't worry, I got this." Sola said.

"Hey, pay some attention to me. How's it going with you?" Sola asked the male Altmer.

"Good. Good. You?" The male Altmer asked.

"Well. I'm just looking for some fun tonight." Sola said.

"Really? What do you do?" The male Altmer asked.

"I burn bodies. You may have heard of me. Sola Auroron, fifty-second Aldmeri Medical Division, Meridia's Torch." Sola said.

"...No. I haven't." The male Altmer said.

"Oh, what? How could you not? I'm actually here for my promotion." Sola said.

"Really? What are you?" The male Altmer asked.

"I'm going to be a legionary tomorrow." Sola answered.

"Really? I'm a captain. Well, maybe you can be my little soldier." The male Altmer said.

"Maybe." Sola said.

"Come, let me buy you a drink." The male Altmer said.

"Drink? What can I get you?" The Bosmer barkeep asked, coming out of nowhere.

"Get my little Altmer here a mead, just like her last one." The male Altmer said.

"Hey, could I also get a sweet roll?" Sola asked.

The male Altmer tried to say something, but he figured it was for the best that he said nothing.

"Sure. You seem like a girl who wants extra frosting." The barkeep said.

"That'd be nice." Sola said.

"Well, I'll be back." The barkeep said.

"So, tell me about yourself." The male Altmer said.

"Well, what is there to say about myself?" Sola asked.

"I'm a little Altmer girl who left her family to join up here." Sola continued.

Sola then proceeded to continue on with a massive amount of lies and made up stories to impress the male Altmer to cover for her free drink. Sola had no interest in him; she just wanted to have that free food and drink. As shallow it may have seen, Sola was lucky that she could pull it off. Finally, Sola's drink and sweet roll arrived, and she quickly ate and drank them. Sola kept on talking, but she wanted to ensure that she at least talked her worth for the drink. Sola was, however, getting a bit bored, and she wanted to leave, and go off somewhere and sleep by herself.

"And that's how I got promoted." The male Altmer said.

"Okay." Sola said.

"So, how about we get out of here? It's the night before my deployment…" The male Altmer said.

Sola tried to think of the exact words to say. She, of course, had no intent of following him around anywhere, or doing anything with him; Sola just wanted that free drink, of which she had gotten a few at this point. But, perhaps she was saved by a Khajiit who had been walking by. The Khajiit walked by, and for a second, he paused, then he decided to say something.

"Sola, is that you?" The Khajiit asked.

"Who is it?" Sola asked.

"It's me." The Khajiit answered.

Sola had been dreading an encounter like this. She knew it was Oldon instantly, from the moment he had said something. Last time that Sola had talked to him, they nearly killed one another before Sola was able to end everything on good terms. So the two did not hate each other. Sola could not say for sure that she was exactly friends with Oldon, considering the previous events. But she knew that since they both had a past friendship, that may count for something. So she would just have to see to what extent she could use Oldon to get her out of this situation.

"Oh, Oldon. Hey, how's it going?" Sola asked.

"Well. Very well. You?" Oldon asked.

"Hey, why don't you say we get out of here?" Sola asked.

Oldon was shocked. He had no idea on how to respond. There were multiple meanings to what Sola said, and Oldon would have been fine with any of them. He had already had his fill of food and drink, and was ready to sleep, but he could put that off for a few hours. Oldon, however, had to forget the old feelings he used to have for Sola. A few years back, back before Sola had run off. But still, he wanted to catch back up with Sola.

"Sure." Oldon said, rather carefully.

"Then let's get out of here." Sola said.

"What? I've spent all night working on you, and you take a Khajiit after he says five words to you?!" The male Altmer said.

"Come on. Don't pretend that I didn't milk you for free drinks." Sola said, leaving with Oldon to outside.

"So, Sola, how have things been with you?" Oldon asked.

"Good. Good. Oh, and thanks for saving me from that Altmer. You got me an easy way out." Sola said.

"I was wondering why you were there." Oldon said.

"Free drinks. You know how much mead I had? How many sweet rolls I had? Like three." Sola said.

"So, were you serious about getting out of here?" Oldon asked.

"Wait...you didn't think I was serious about that...did you? Azura smite me, you did. Oldon, do you want me to review things I have said to you before?" Sola asked.

"Women have a mind like a maze. You can never say for sure what they are thinking." Oldon said.

"I'm not that complex." Sola said.

"So, what brings you here?" Oldon asked, trying to change topics.

"Promotion. I'm a Legionary now." Sola answered.

"Well, congratulations. I would say it is time to celebrate, but I see you have already celebrated. If not a bit too much." Oldon said.

"I'm not drunk! I certainly have a nice buzz, but I'm not drunk!" Sola said.

"Anyways...I know it sounds really weird, and I totally understand that it's a bit awkward, but do you have a place that this girl could stay at for the night?" Sola asked.

"Sola, you must understand my suspicions." Oldon said.

"Oldon, we've known each other since we were kids. I mean nothing by it. And I'm sure that...wait...what was I saying?" Sola asked, losing her focus.

"Okay, I think I may have some room to spare." Oldon said.

Oldon led Sola around the camp. Sola staggered around, and perhaps the alcohol was finally getting to her; she was starting to lose her balance, and starting to slur her words. Finally, Oldon was able to lead Sola to where he lived. It was soldier housing, so in the barracks, many soldiers lived around in bunk beds. They were all, of course, gender and race segregated, so the instant Sola was led, or more half-dragged in she received strange looks from the Khajiit soldiers.

"Oldon, this one sees you brought home a prize." A Khajiit soldier said.

"She is a childhood friend. Her name is Sola. Say hi, Sola." Oldon said.

"Hey...is...I...I think I'm a bit drunk." Sola said, lumbering around.

"Lucky you." A Khajiit soldier said.

"No! It's not like that! She needs a place to stay for the night." Oldon said.

"Is this your bed?" Sola asked, rather soberly this time.

Sola collapsed on the bed. She then rolled around a bit and faced the wall.

"Sola, I need to sleep." Oldon said.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Sola asked.

"I can take out a cot, and you can feel free to sleep in here." Oldon said.

"That's...a lot of work for one girl...just take a lay down." Sola said.

One of the Khajiit let out a suggestive purr to Oldon.

"Shut up." Oldon said.

"Sola, that is...very strange." Oldon said.

"Oh, come on, it isn't that...weird. I mean...come on, it's not like we haven't had baths together as kids." Sola said.

"Oldon, do not leave her...unsatisfied." A Khajiit soldier said.

"If your fur and blanket doesn't keep you warm enough, I'll probably do the trick." Sola said.

"Wait...that probably means that your blanket is all furry. Oh, you know, maybe your whole blanket is made out of your fur." Sola said.

"Well, not as if it's the first time that I used you as a blanket." Sola added.

"Oldon, she's begging for you." The Khajiit soldier said.

"Well, the promise of a warm woman is very tempting, this is my dear friend. I mean…" Oldon said.

"Come on. Just go to sleep. You're keeping me up." Sola said.

An Altmer officer came by, getting everyone into their beds. Quickly, all of the Khajiit soldiers flew into their beds.

"Chosen of the Storm, get on in your bed." The Altmer officer said.

"Well, as we see, there is a bit of an issue with that." Oldon said, pointing at Sola, who had fallen asleep, with her hands clasped as used as a pillow.

"And is that blocking you from getting in your bed?" The Altmer officer asked.

"Well, it is a bit inappropriate, is it not?" Oldon asked.

"In all my times, I never thought that I would see any man deny a woman. Especially a muscular Khajiit with a little Altmer woman." The Altmer officer said.

Oldon yelped in frustration. He even let out a little bit of storm magic out of rage.

"She is my friend! She was just a bit drunk and needed a place to stay!" Oldon yelled.

"Cat, no cot tonight. You're sleeping in that bed unless you want to sleep outside." The Altmer officer said, leaving.

Oldon swallowed his pride. Sola continued to rest peacefully, and Oldon laid down too. But he attempted to take up as little space as possible; he was nearly falling off of his bed. A few minutes after laying down, Sola rolled around in her stupor, and mumbled a few words, and slammed up against Oldon. She was warm, she was soft, but Oldon found the simple accidental physical content to be detestable and uncomfortable. Sola quickly attached her clingy arms to him and attempted to sleepily roll him around with her.

In order to make it through the night, Oldon constantly had to push Sola away. And that would often end up with Sola reacting a variety of ways. Sola started out drunk, and she slowly recovered. At first when Sola got pushed away, she would mumble a few drunken words, roll over, and fall back to sleep. But as the night went on, Sola would get more and more sober. Then, when she was pushed away, the words became clear and vulgar, and she would no longer feebly and playfully push Oldon away, but instead it became a serious fight for space and sleep, and even once Oldon got pushed onto the floor.

But, eventually, morning came. Sola was using up all of Oldon's warm blankets, and all of the space on his small barracks bunk, while Oldon was left with nothing other than his fur, and a very small piece of his bed. Sola woke up slowly. Her large green eyes blinked slowly and they woke her up. It was nice and warm, and the bed was surprisingly soft. Surprising, considering that Sola barely remembered how she had gotten where she was. Then, finally, she remembered where she was, and who was next to her. She expected the worst.

"By the sacred light of Meridia! Who are...what did I do?" Sola asked, yelling early in the morning.

"I told you that I did not want to share. I insisted on grabbing you a cot." Oldon said.

"What happened?" Sola asked, a hangover hitting her.

"I found you drunk. You said that you needed a place to stay. So I somehow brought you to my barracks." Oldon said.

"What happened?" Sola asked.

"Nothing. You slept here. End of story." Oldon said.

"Really? Okay, that's better. Well, you want to eat?" Sola asked.

"Sure." Oldon said.

"My treat too. You know, I'm sure I cause a lot of trouble when drunk." Sola said.

"Not really." Oldon said.

"Hey, do you want to pay?" Sola asked.

"Anyways, let's go eat. I need some tea; alcohol ruins my magicka balance." Sola said.

Sola and Oldon went to the tavern again. This time, the tavern smelled completely of people and alcohol, but in the smell of fresh bread was being anticipated. Still, in the tavern, there were the people from last night that were sleeping off their alcohol. The local group of Sola's old squad were in the tavern checking on the people, ensuring, and hoping, that they were not dead or poisoned, which was a common occurrence before deployment.

"You're back. I assume that you're all fine for your big day today." The same Bosmer barkeep said when Sola walked in.

"I have a bit of a hangover. Not too big of one, just one that needs some tea to cure." Sola said.

"So, yeah, I'll take...hm...a sweet roll and a chai tea." Sola said.

"Sweet roll? I figured that we would get some bread and jam." Oldon said.

"I've forgotten that. Yeah, we'll do that. But keep me a sweet roll; I might need a snack for later." Sola said.

"Right. Ten gold." The barkeep said.

"Here ya go." Sola said, taking out her gold purse and taking out some gold.

The two sat down at the table that Sola had sat at the previous night. There was a collapsed Khajiit who was snoring loudly. His paws were on the floor, and his stomach was on the chair.

"You know, it's nice to catch up with you." Sola said.

Sola and Oldon continued their conversation. The food arrived, and they enjoyed their nostalgic food. Sola remembered that the last time she had this was the day she left her family. They enjoyed their bread and jam, both of which were fresh. With the chai tea, Sola's magicka and hangover were cured. Just with that, Sola felt on top of the world again, as she usually did. But after their food, there was one final topic of conversation.

"So, yeah, it was really nice having breakfast together. If I ever come back here, and you find me, we'll share another meal." Sola said.

"Wait, before we go, I have something I've wanted to ask you." Oldon said.

"When was the last time you saw your family?" Oldon asked.

"Oh no. I knew it was too good to be true." Sola said.

"I just knew that this would be brought up." Sola added.

"Look, I don't want to go over this again. I'll see what I can do. I'm on some leave right now, so how about I go see them after my promotion?" Sola asked.

"Sure. It will be really good for you." Oldon said.

"No, not yet. One condition: you, Nerwaye, and I all go together." Sola said.

"I don't know if Nerwaye can go, but I can put off deployment." Oldon said.

"Well, I have to go to my promotion." Sola said, trying to leave, even though her promotion was a few hours away.

"I'm not letting you go just like that." Oldon said.

Sola closed her eyes, searching for peace, and then she sat back down, letting out a deep breath, but then, all of a sudden, Sola remembered something in and on her head.

"Hey, you're a Khajiit. You have tonnes of fur, or hair, or whatever you'd call that nasty stuff." Sola said.

"Yes. What of it? Is there something wrong with me? Do I have a bald spot on my forehead?" Oldon asked.

"Well, you keep your fur clean, right? I mean, this whole place already smells enough like wet cats, but I assume that you clean yourself well." Sola said.

"Of course. I take pride in my appearance. I make sure I do not have ticks, or fleas, or smell badly." Oldon said.

"So, you have a soap to clean your fur with?" Sola asked.

"Yes. I buy it from a merchant who comes from time to time." Oldon answered.

"Does it smell good?" Sola asked.

"Yes...wait...what are you getting at?" Oldon asked.

"Okay, look, I washed my hair before I came here. So, after the walk to this gate, in which my hair endured wind and dirt, I came here, got drunk, fell asleep. That's not good for my hair." Sola said.

"Make your point." Oldon said.

"What? You can't see what I'm saying?" Sola asked.

"Of course I can. I still want you to say it." Oldon answered.

"So, can I borrow your soap, and whatever barrel or bucket you use to wash yourself in? I mean, this hair takes time to keep in top shape. If I didn't take care of it, it'd be nasty from the amount of stuff I do daily." Sola asked.

Oldon said nothing. He just got up, left a coin at the table they were at, and left with Sola to go grab his bucket and soap. Sola, of course, had to make the walk interesting.

"Hey, remember back a few years before I left when you had that mane?" Sola asked.

"I do not want to remember that…" Oldon said.

"And then I tried to convince everyone that you were a lion?" Sola continued.

Sola was able to get her wish fulfilled of getting her hair clean again. Of course, a simple bucket and some soap would not suffice for Sola. She ended up borrowing Oldon's brushes and combs to ensure its cleanliness and neatness. Of course Oldon would have rather kept all of his things to himself, but seeing as for some reason, Oldon could never say no to Sola, he was essentially forced into saying yes to anything when he looked into Sola's green eyes. And not looking into her eyes was bad, because then she would bring up how he was not looking at her when she was talking to him, so it ended up leaving Oldon the only choices of disobeying Sola and risking a fireball attack, Dremora attack, or some other magical attack, or staring straight into Sola's captivating eyes. Oldon was finally relieved when Sola finished taking care of her hair and left to her promotion. Of course, it took Oldon a long time to feel that relief; Sola was cleaning her hair for two hours, with Oldon crying mentally in a mental corner.

Sola went to her promotion. It was boring. For hours, nothing but a few generals calling up the names of the promoted to get their simple little medal and recognition. Sola actually thought it would be something entertaining, and she felt so stupid once she realized she was wrong. She was not even forced to go to it, but she figured it would be fun. But Sola figured that as, or if, she got higher in the ranks, the promotions would be shorter. Once Sola was promoted, she left as soon as she could, and took off to the tavern, again. She had left the tavern in the late morning, and returned at evening. At least Sola only had the rest of today to go through before she would return to her home.

Sola was not going to repeat her actions of the previous night. She made a no-drink policy with herself. Sola always had had a back and forth relationship with alcohol. When she first started her duty of purifying bodies, she used alcohol to cope with the constant death. Of course, Sola pulled out of it rather quickly. From there, she relapsed for a week or two. Often times oscillating between sobriety and alcoholism. But in the end, Sola's better judgement won; she decided to try and avoid getting drunk, and limit her alcohol intake. Sola figured that it would be safest to get drunk around her friends, of which she had little of, so it worked out for her. Of course, she had broken that rule last night, and if not for Oldon's lucky passing, it may not have been good for Sola. But she always had luck on her side.

So, this time, at the tavern, Sola would be fulfilled in getting another meal to eat, and after her nice Akaviri-style meal last night, she was drawn to the thought of another meal like that, and Sola would also be content with a few teas to sample from, and perhaps another sweet roll, which ever so much reminded her of her mother making breakfast back when Sola and Nerwaye were children. So Sola sat by herself today, with several interesting books on Daedric magic in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other. While everyone else was getting drunk, getting in fights, and doing things that they all would end up regretting, Sola was content in enjoying her peaceful evening in the tavern. Of course, if not for a noise-reducing spell she had used, the amount of racket going on would have been unbearable. So Sola kept with her reading until a tipsy Altmer came by.

"Oh, hey, I know you." The female Altmer said.

Sola looked up from her book written in Daedric characters. It took Sola a second to recognize her, but Sola saw that it was Nerwaye. Although Sola was confused with Nerwaye's blonde hair color, because seeing as she had a natural brown like Sola, but ended up with a gray after her incident with Sola. Needless to say, the two sisters looked closely related, and if not for their inborn competitiveness, they would look great in a portrait together or with their family. But it was very hard to get the two of them together without any argument.

"Oh, Nerwaye, what are you doing here?" Sola asked.

"Just enjoying life. Getting away. You know how it is." Nerwaye answered.

"You sound drunk. What's going on?" Sola asked.

"Just needed to find another guy to mess around with tonight. You know how it is." Nerwaye said.

"What? Nerwaye, I'm not like that. Not like that at all." Sola said.

"Oh yeah, it's because you think that you're...you're better than me. You're too high and tight...heh...to do things like that. You're just way too up there with your Daedric magic and Meridia, and…" Nerwaye said, going off into delirium.

"Hey, do you want to have a drink? You know...find a nice Altmer around here. I'll find one for me, you find one for you." Nerwaye asked.

"No. Look, Nerwaye, I'm not looking for anything like that. I'll have a drink with you." Sola said.

"Sure, let's have a drink." Nerwaye said, sitting down sloppily.

"Hey, barkeep, let's get a round of…!" Nerwaye said, setting her head on the table.

"What was it?" The same Bosmer barkeep asked.

"My sister here is completely drunk. Can I get two cups of black tea?" Sola asked.

"Sure." The barkeep said, leaving.

"Tea? Black tea? No. I need more wine." Nerwaye said.

"Okay look, I haven't seen you drunk before, but right now, you're embarrassing me." Sola said.

"Oh, that guy looks good. Maybe you want him?" Nerwaye asked.

"Hey! Over here, come over here! My sister wants to talk to you!" Nerwaye yelled at an Altmer.

"What ever happened to the guy that...you know...had a kid with?" Sola asked, gaining a bit of anger.

"Oh him...what was his name?...I don't even know what happened to him." Nerwaye said.

"Nerwaye, that isn't good. What about your kid? Is he going to live without a father?" Sola asked.

"I let myself go for...one...night. You know, have some fun, just go loose. And, that's what ends up happening: I get pregnant. I...I think it was an Altmer." Nerwaye said.

"You know, sometimes you disgust me." Sola said.

"Ladies, how's it going?" The Altmer that Nerwaye had yelled at said jovially, plainly drunk.

"Get away from here!" Sola said, waving him away.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. You're cute. So is that other girl. Come on, let's all have a little fun tonight." The Altmer said.

Sola stared at him; it was a stare of death.

"You have really nice eyes. But a nicer set of breasts." The Altmer said.

"Don't talk about my body like that!" Sola hissed, standing up.

Sola yelled all manner of vulgar, obscene, and inappropriate words at the Altmer. She then followed with a few rather powerful and dangerous spells to ward off the intruding Altmer. He ended up running away, but then tripping on a chair, then getting up, and successfully leaving the tavern. Everybody minded their own business.

"So, two black teas." The barkeep said, returning.

"Oh, and, Nerwaye, I think that was your name, someone special sent you and your sister something." The barkeep said, setting down two mugs of a disgusting smelling drink.

From afar, a small Bosmer was giving a wave, eyeing both Sola and Nerwaye.

"Rotmeth. Nasty." Sola said.

"What? I've had it before...I think. Give mine here." Nerwaye said, taking the mug of rotmeth.

Nerwaye attempted to drink the rotmeth. She took a long mouthful, and then vomited all of the contents in her stomach back up. It was not good. Just like that, she seemed to be a thousand times more sober.

"Ugh..what's happening. Did I...did I do anything to you?" Nerwaye asked.

"What? Come on, it's me, Sola. Now come on, drink your tea." Sola said, passing a cup of tea to Nerwaye.

"Thanks...did I say anything weird?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yes. Very weird." Sola answered.

"Did I try and get you and someone else together?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yeah." Sola answered, a bit with a bite with this answer.

"Oh...sorry. Let's...let's talk about something else." Nerwaye said.

"Gladly. How's the kid doing?" Sola asked.

"Fine. My room partner is watching him right now." Nerwaye answered.

"You left your baby to go and get drunk?!" Sola asked angrily.

"You don't understand what it's like being a single mother…" Nerwaye explained.

"I don't. I make responsible decisions. And if that means abstinence for the time being, then so be it." Sola said.

"Oh, come on, you need to loosen up." Nerwaye said.

"Not like you. Getting drunk and then pregnant are not good things in my eyes." Sola said.

"Then how do you release all those pent up feelings?" Nerwaye asked.

"Me? My whole life is like a vacation compared to the hectic life here. I need to release my feelings, I'll have a good cry. That's all." Sola answered.

"Well, I'm sure mother would be proud…" Nerwaye said.

"Speaking of mother, let's get out of here. I want to see that child of yours. See how magically potent he is." Sola said.

"He's going to be good-looking. If you don't get married by the time he's of age, I'm making him marry you." Nerwaye said.

"By the Eight, that's a disgusting thing to say!" Sola said.

"It's a joke. Don't take everything so hard." Nerwaye said.

"Come on, let's go." Sola said, shaking off any bad thoughts she had, and then leaving with Nerwaye.

Sola and Nerwaye walked to where Nerwaye lived. She lived in family housing. Where she lived, families who had come to work and serve in the Dominion lived. Often times, one member, either the head, or the sons of the head of the household, would serve in the Dominion Military, while the rest of the family would work in gates, performing either basic labor, or just being around to support their family. In the end, however, the housing was very small to begin with, and the massive amount of families wanting shelter often made squeezing multiple families into one unit. These housing units were also used to house women who had had children during their service. Nerwaye was one of these women.

Nerwaye roomed with a Khajiiti female, who had two cubs. Nerwaye could be thankful for that. Usually, those units were filled up with multiple women with their babies, but until more women had more children, Nerwaye would be left with only one other person, and two other babies, to deal with. It worked out very well for the two women. Nerwaye and the Khajiit would often take turns going out and drinking; Nerwaye would have one night, and then the Khajiit would have hers a few days later. The other one would remain at home and watch over the children. Of course, that did cause a bit of strife in the household.

"Come on in." Nerwaye told Sola, opening the door to her humble abode.

The house was plain. An open floor plan, made rectangularly. There were two beds, two dressers, a fireplace, and two chests. It was very minimalistic and bare. Sola could plainly see the Khajiit mother watching over her two cubs and Nerwaye's baby. Nerwaye walked in, set a few things on her bed, and walked over to the burning fireplace, where her child was.

"I'm back." Nerwaye told her Khajiit roommate.

"About time. He doesn't want to eat." The Khajiit said, talking about Nerwaye's baby.

"I'll feed him. I just think he doesn't like you." Nerwaye said, grabbing her child.

There he was. This child was all that Nerwaye put her maturity into. Her and Sola were still much like children or young adults; they enjoyed staying out late into the night, getting drunk, and just having fun. Sola still enjoyed that, but she had made significant progress in staying away; work and solitude were enough for her. Nerwaye, however, was trying to hold onto her way of life as much as she could. She would go and raise her child, and as much as she could at night, go and have fun. It was very childish of her to do. Sola was even put off by Nerwaye's way she lived her life. This child was where Nerwaye focused all of her maturity. And, in many ways, Nerwaye felt as if this child had ruined her life. This cursed child had forced Nerwaye to mature, forced her to live differently. Even still, Nerwaye felt a small bit of hate to Sola. After all, Sola's spell against her had drained Nerwaye's life, which, in many ways, led Nerwaye to make several bad decisions, and then get pregnant and have her child.

"So, what's his name?" Sola asked Nerwaye.

"Well, I had a lot of trouble at first, but then I thought of a good name: Urcelmo." Nerwaye answered.

"Wait? What? Are you serious?" Sola asked, taken back.

"Yes, I'm serious." Nerwaye answered.

Sola looked down at the cute baby Altmer. The soft-skinned, pale little mer certainly looked a little bit like his mother, and even a bit of his aunt. This child was completely innocent. He had not chosen to be born from such a scandal that he was. He did not choose to be born to a seemingly aging woman at the end of her childbearing years, and not even have a father figure. Nerwaye hoped that he would grow up fine. Sola, however, hoped that Nerwaye would do her best to raise this child. Still, Sola had no idea how the name Urcelmo fit the little baby.

"Uh...well, I'm really not sure if that fits him." Sola said.

"He'll grow into it...hopefully." Nerwaye said.

"Anyways, let me see him. I think I can tell his magical potential." Sola said, arms open for the baby.

Nerwaye handed over her child. Into Sola's arms he was delivered. Sola looked at the tiny baby. He was drooling over himself, and had his feeble little arms with his tiny, stubby fingers and arms pointed up at Sola, reaching for her head. Sola tried to detect any magicka running through little Urcelmo. It was too early to tell his magical potential. All Altmer had magicka in their blood, but some, with weak bloodlines, would have a weak link to their magicka, while others with strong bloodlines, like Sola and her sister, had very strong connections to their magicka. The Auroron bloodline held long line of mages and the magically inclined, so that made everything seem positive for the baby; he would inherit the magicka-rich blood of his mother. But, what made everything so hard to be sure of is the fact that nobody knew who the father of the baby was. Sola, at the very least, hoped that it was an Altmer with a strong bloodline, so at the very least her family would not be disappointed at the bastard child in terms of magical talent. Of course, it was likely that the child had a weak-blooded Altmer. Or maybe the father was not even Altmer at all. It is very possible that the child had a Bosmer or Imperial father. What would the family say about Nerwaye? Nothing positive for sure. Then, after trying to detect the magicka in the baby, Sola focusing her magical prowess, the child started to reach for Sola's breasts, hoping for a meal. After all, he was hungry.

"I think he's hungry. Maybe you should let him eat." Sola said, handing the child back to Nerwaye.

"Okay. Yeah, I'll feed him." Nerwaye said, starting to suckle the child.

"Well, he's not as much of a crybaby that I had expected." Sola said.

"I think he's just tired right now. Sometimes he cries a lot." Nerwaye said.

"Well, what'd you see in him?" Nerwaye asked.

"I can't tell. There's magicka there, but how much? Not sure. I mean, even then, how good he is at accessing it depends on his bloodline." Sola answered.

"So, you don't know anything about the father?" Sola asked.

"Look, it's all blurry. I wouldn't worry too much. It's not as if the father is an Orc or a Redguard, well probably." Nerwaye said.

"Imagine what our parents would think if he doesn't have a strong bloodline." Sola said.

"Well, I try to not think about that. They'd be very disappointed in me. By Mara, they'd be disappointed in me if they knew I had a child at all." Nerwaye said.

"I'm sure that they'd be disappointed if they knew that I used Daedric and Vampiric magic." Sola said.

"Hey, I was just wondering...why is your hair blonde? You're brown-haired, just like me." Sola said.

"Well, actually, my hair is gray because of you. I was trying to find something to change it to...anything else. Well, let's just say that the merchants lied to me." Nerwaye answered.

"All this talk about our parents...I promised that I'd go visit them when I can." Nerwaye said.

"I found Oldon yesterday. He wants me to go visit them. Not sure I want to." Sola said.

"You should. I mean, it'd probably make them feel better." Nerwaye said.

"You know, I thought that. Of course, I don't feel like spending my life in prison, or being executed. Of course, it is very possible to convince me to go…" Sola said.

"You really should visit them. Let them know that their daughter isn't dead or completely ruining her life." Nerwaye said.

"Of course I should. But, I'm not going alone. I told Oldon this, and I'll tell you: I'll go, but on one condition: you and Oldon go with me." Sola said.

"Well, I should go visit them again. So, do we have a deal? You go, I go?" Nerwaye asked.

"It looks like we have a deal. Why don't you hunt down Oldon and tell him for me?" Sola asked.

"Will do." Nerwaye said.

"Well, okay. I'll leave you in peace until we meet again." Sola said, about to leave.

"You're going to walk back to your little camp in the wilderness in the middle of the night?" Nerwaye asked with disbelief.

"I do what I have to do." Sola said.

"No. It's cold, dark, and there are some scary people walking around at night. I'm not letting my sister put herself in danger. Stay here for the night." Nerwaye said.

"Well, okay, on a few conditions: I don't change that child's clothes, that kid doesn't cry all night, and that I get to stay warm." Sola said.

"I handle the responsibilities for my child." Nerwaye said.

"Right. You went out drinking tonight." The Khajiit roommate said.

"Well, I do my best. Now, come on, let's get some rest." Nerwaye said.

The morning came. Sharing a bed with Nerwaye was easy; the two had already shared beds several times before, and it was no effort given whatsoever. Of course, it was a bit stranger when the two were children, after all, Sola was no longer ten, and she took up a lot more room than when she was ten. It was, however, a bit annoying with baby Urcelmo sleeping in the bed. A few times during the night, he would cry because he soiled himself, or was hungry, or just because the stars were out of alignment, and Sola would hear those ear-piercing screeches, and be forced to cover her ears. Sola was not ready for motherhood, and she felt no push to be ready. However, Sola realized just how much Nerwaye had started to mature from when Sola left her family. Nerwaye was taking responsibility for her child now, even though Sola was skeptical of Nerwaye taking full responsibility. Sure, there were a few kinks that needed to be worked out, but Nerwaye was trying to wean herself off of her old habits, and become only a mother, instead of a fun loving tavern girl.

With morning coming, Magnus raising into the sky, both Sola and Nerwaye were tired, and they decided to sleep in. Sola, as always, would claim that it was her sleep that kept her sane in Cyrodiil, even though she was drained by the past two nights of events. Nerwaye, on the other hand, tried to sleep for as long as she could because of how much attention her child required, even at a very young age. With the day filled with light, the sisters woke from their extended slumber. They were hungry, and Nerwaye had a hangover. Sola figured that they could say their goodbyes and share a last meal with her sister before they parted ways.

Sola was actually making an effort to mend the relationship with her sister and Oldon. Sola figured that she would be able to go and get promoted and leave without a distraction, but that was not the case at all. But they were pleasant distractions. As Sola and Nerwaye ordered food and ate, and had fun talking about all manner of topics, Sola finally felt as if Nerwaye had forgiven her for her magic and her actions to her sister. Now, there was only one obstacle left to cross: Sola's parents. And despite Sola now being able to enjoy Oldon and Nerwaye again, Sola had no want to meet her parents again. It was too long ago that she had left, and Sola hoped that her parents just thought she was dead. For that reason, Sola was very vague about planning a trip back to her village with Nerwaye. Sola had already made it more complicated by requiring both Nerwaye and Oldon to go with her. But Sola further made it harder to give any specific date by essentially withholding information. Sola just said that she would go see her parents with the other two. She never said when, and that made planning impossible, at least Sola hoped so.

"Hey, I was thinking about it. Would you make sure your baby wears this?" Sola asked Nerwaye.

Sola brought out a small necklace. It was made of silver, and had a medallion in the shape of Meridia's banner. Sola held out her hand to Nerwaye. Nerwaye was cautious. This was obviously something Daedric, and Nerwaye would prefer to keep that away from her child. But still, this was a thoughtful present from her sister. And it was not as if the necklace looked harmful, but Nerwaye knew the potential danger. Had Sola shown up out of the blue and given her this, it would have been a different story. Sola had, however, successfully bridged the old destroyed relationship with Nerwaye. If Nerwaye refused this gift, it would break Sola's little heart.

"Thank you." Nerwaye said, grabbing the necklace.

"I made it myself. It's blessed with some magic to ward away Daedra." Sola added.

"What kind of magic." Nerwaye asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Sola asked.

"Do I want to know?" Nerwaye asked.

"Well, you want to be technical, the magical enchantment is from the Daedric school of magic. But, it's not evil magic, in this case. It's little token of Meridia. It wards away undead and curses, to a small extent." Sola said.

"Well...okay, I'll have him wear it." Nerwaye said.

What significant harm could there be in this amulet? Well, there certainly could be some harm if Sola had enchanted it wrong, but Nerwaye knew that Sola was very skilled mage, and that she would not mess up a simple enchantment. Then Nerwaye thought about how it would be hard for Sola to mess up a Daedric magic enchantment, because, after all, Sola practiced Daedric magic. That gave Nerwaye both relief and the chills. But in the end, Nerwaye figured that the harm was probably just in her head.

"Right, so I'm going to go back home." Sola said, getting up.

"It was very nice getting to see you again." Sola said, about to leave.

"Okay. I'll see you here in two weeks. We'll go see our parents then." Nerwaye said.

Just like that Sola's whole tower of careful diction and avoiding of topics was smashed into pieces. The whole time that Sola had not given a date to see her parents, and then Nerwaye took the initiative and made one. Two weeks. A long time, but not long enough. Sola was looking away from Nerwaye when she heard this, and Sola closed her eyes for peace, and then walked out. Two weeks was all she had for peace.

Those two weeks were peaceful. Sola would have said that they were the calm before her storm. There were no large influxes of bodies into Sola's operation. There was no unexpected assassin, there was nothing that would have disrupted the peace that Sola wanted. Vyrkyl was even dismissed because there was so little work to do. Sola just did what little work she had, and it was hardly work anymore, and then she enjoyed the rest of the day. She would go on walks, sit by the river, sleep in. Everything. For two weeks she enjoyed her life. Then, those two weeks were up. Sola's walk back to the Elsweyr gate was her most peaceful moment in her two weeks. Then, Sola met up with Oldon and Nerwaye, who were in the tavern, enjoying a drink.

"Hey." Sola said, sitting down next to Nerwaye.

"I've been waiting for so long for this." Nerwaye said.

"Yeah, me too." Sola said, which was truthful, but Sola said it rather sadly.

"Well, come on. Enough waiting." Oldon said, getting up.

"That's right. Come on, let's go." Nerwaye said.

"Okay. How are we getting there?" Sola asked.

"We were going to take a cart to Grahtwood, then go to Summerset from there." Nerwaye answered.

"What? No portals?" Sola asked.

"No. No portals. I try to stay away from magic like that." Nerwaye answered.

"Honestly, I prefer no portals too. I use wayshrines." Sola said.

"Wayshrines?! What?! Well, not as if I didn't expect that you hadn't performed the Daedric rituals to use them." Nerwaye said.

"First, I can use them because I don't have my soul. Second, they're very efficient at traveling." Sola said.

"Oldon, do you travel like this?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yes. I had my soul taken from me when I was captured in Coldharbour; I can travel with wayshrines." Oldon answered.

"Great. Great. Well, I'll meet you two Daedra-consorts back home." Nerwaye said, leaving.

"That's not happening, Nerwaye. I'm not going if we're going by cart and boat. I'll meet you in a month I guess." Sola said.

"Me too. I do not have time to waste." Oldon said.

"Well, as far as I know, I can't use wayshrines, so tough luck." Nerwaye said.

"I'm sure that you can. Come on, let's try." Sola said.

"If you can't use them, I'll go with you by boat." Sola said, even though her tongue was deceitful.

"Okay." Nerwaye said, desperate to keep her plans together.

Sola led Oldon and Nerwaye to the local wayshrine. Daedric energies were emanating out from it, and, often times normal people could feel them. They were not necessarily malevolent, but they were not good. This Daedric magic held a neutral feeling. Sola pressed her hand against the wayshrine, and let all of the energy flow through her. It felt welcoming. Daedric magic had the same effect on her, but only greater. These wayshrines were but a taste of this power. Sola then took Nerwaye's larger and and pressed it against the wayshrine. Oldon followed suit, not needing instruction.

"Think of where you want to go...Cloudrest." Sola said.

"Cloudrest." Oldon said.

"Cloudrest?" Nerwaye asked, due to the fact that they all used to live quite a ways out of Cloudrest.

"It's the closest place with a wayshrine. We'll have to walk the rest of the way." Sola said.

"Um...Cloudrest." Nerwaye said.

They all seemed to exhale deep breaths at the same time, all thinking about the city so close to their home. Their hearts seemed to beat as one, and they felt Daedric energy go over their bodies. Sola was the first to disappear. She vanished in the blink of an eye. Her connection to Daedric magic gave her the ability to deal with it more easily. Oldon was next; he had gotten used to wayshrines. Nerwaye was left alone for a time, with her connection to the whole Wayshrine network retarded due to the fact that only part of her soul was in Coldharbour. Still, after a minute, with Nerwaye focusing on Cloudrest, she disappeared.

Before the three of them, Cloudrest waited. Altmer walked around peacefully. It was so much different than Cyrodiil. This was the first time that Sola had stepped on Alinor since her abduction to Coldharbour years ago. Oldon had the same experience. Nerwaye had been back twice to see her parents, but still, it was shocking to be back so quickly. But just as soon as they got to see the peaceful scenes of nature and get used to the clean, breathable air, Sola was ready to move on.

"Come on, back home." Sola said, going to a sign that had an arrow pointed in the direction of their village.

They started on the smooth path. They would not encounter any bandits, or Daedra, or wild animals wanting to kill them. Right now, only friendly Altmer travelers, some of whom recognized Sola and Nerwaye. While Nerwaye insisted that they go and travel with the people who knew of them, Sola thought that it would be better to travel faster, knowing that it could possibly reach nightfall before they got home. However, Nerwaye was starting to slow down five hours in.

"Nerwaye, you're lagging behind, what's happening?" Sola asked, tired of having to stop for Nerwaye, and instead walking to her with a sisterly attitude.

"I miss Urcelmo. I wonder if he's alright." Nerwaye answered, on the verge of tears.

Sola cringed at the baby's name, but then she understood Nerwaye's emotions.

"Well, we're not going to see him again if you don't get to our house." Sola coldly said, the words coming out a bit differently than Sola's original intention.

"What she means to say is that we'll all see him again, and not to worry." Oldon said.

That brought up Nerwaye's confidence, and she sped up again and kept up with Sola and Nerwaye. A few hours later, Magnus was setting over the mountains that were capped with snow. The clouds for which Cloudrest had been named after collided with Magnus, and formed a brilliant orange glow on the horizon. The horizon that the three were going to. Finally, the three found their home. Sunk into a valley, with green grass fields all around, with the occasional fruit tree. Home was so peaceful. For a moment, Sola wondered why she ever wanted to leave. Nerwaye fell on her knees. Oldon bent his head down, as if he shed a tear. The three continued onto Sola and Nerwaye's old house.

There they were, right outside the door. The door was the same strong oak door that was there years ago, even when they were all kids. It was strong and sturdy, yet there were small holes and gaps in the wood that gave the people looking at it that they were welcome to come inside. The door had burns on it, from when Sola and Oldon used to play with fire and shock magic, and on the occasional time when Nerwaye would make fun at their current lack of magical skills, and show them how it was done. The window was open, but the parents were not in the common room. Who knows where they were. But, Sola knocked on the door with her soft right hand, with three knocks, each euphonic and soft. The door warmly creaked open. There they were.

Sola and Nerwaye's parents had aged a few years, but they still looked nearly the exact same. The mother with her brown hair, which had now been cut back a few centimeters, with her conservative dress of bright colors. The father, with his darker brown hair, clean cut as always, dressed comfortably, as always, when he was home. Their eyes started to brighten, and smiles showed on their face as they reached their arms out to their daughters, who they hugged thoroughly, and then they reached to Oldon, who also got a welcoming hug.

There they were. They looked different. Nerwaye looked as if she had aged quite a bit, and she had a different hair color, had a bit of extra weight in her breasts and all around for that matter, and Sola looked just like her charismatic self, with her green eyes and cute smile that she had always had since childhood. They nearly melted in tears when they saw Sola with her hands clasped by her hips, and smiling. They were very surprised and happy, and they reached to greet and love their lovely daughters. After that, they looked at Oldon, who felt a bit left out. But still, he had changed a great bit; he had gotten much stronger and more mature. If anyone watched over their daughters on the trip back, it was him. They figured that he would want a hug too, as if it would not have already been welcome in the first place.

"Sola, Nerwaye!" The mother cried, pulling Sola close.

The father hugged Nerwaye.

Oldon looked on with pride in his close friends, but felt seclusion from this event.

The parents then exchanged the daughters with one another.

"Come on, big guy, you're next." The father told Oldon.

Oldon looked at the Altmer father, who was nearly on par with Oldon in terms of height. He had just let go of Sola. Oldon looked at Sola as her daddy let her go. When she turned around to give Oldon a turn, Oldon saw Sola's face; it was sad. Sola's green eyes were crying. Her mouth opened to take in shortened breaths. She hung her head low. Was it because she was just so happy, or because she was sad to have left so long ago? Regardless, when Sola walked past Oldon to let him have a turn for hugging, she brushed her hand against his shoulder, and chills ran through Oldon's spine, and warmness ran through his blood. It was in that moment that Oldon realized that he too was home. Then, the hugs were exchanged.

"Come on inside. You three must be hungry." The father said, stepping out of the way of the door.

"Honey, would you please get our family food?" The father asked.

"Why would you even ask?" The mother asked with joy.

"Oldon, come, stay with us. You know you are always welcome here." The father said.

"Thank you." Oldon said, finally feeling accepted.

The mother served up some thick stew with bread. It was much better than the food that the three had been used to eating for years. Food that was better than military food, and it seems as if the mother had improved on her cooking. The three ate slowly for the first time in a long time, enjoying every bite, and washing down the food with wine. The parents were happy to feed their daughters and the family friend after they came home from the military. But everyone knew that Oldon felt out of place. Oldon himself felt as if he was intruding on a family moment, and he felt as if he should distance himself. He quickly finished his food, put his dishes in the washing bowl, and went to the parents.

"Thank you for the hospitality, but I want to see my parents. I think I should go." Oldon said.

"Oldon, I'm not sure how I should put this, but a year ago...they died." The mother said reluctantly.

"What?" Oldon asked in disbelief.

"There were some bandits who came into town a year ago, and they started to steal everything they could get their hands on. Your parents were brave people; they tried to fight them off, but they were killed. They gave us time to alert a passing company of soldiers. I'm sorry." The father said.

"No. No. No!" Oldon said, running out.

Oldon yelled with the fury of the storm, and shock magic came out from him. He was enraged, and was ready to attack the evil of the world, and get revenge for the sake of his adoptive parents.

"They died?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yes. It was very sad." The mother said.

"I'll go talk to Oldon." Sola said, going outside.

There Oldon was, sitting on the floor underneath a tree. He had his hands on his eyes as he mourned his parents who had been so kind to take him in as a cub, no matter the reason. Sola carefully approached Oldon. Oldon quickly looked at her. In his most vulnerable moment, Sola had come to try to comfort him. Oldon wanted help in this, but he also wanted to be alone. In a moment of superposition, Oldon had dug his claws into the ground and had flung dirt at Sola.

"Stay back!" Oldon hissed, yet, at the same time, he wanted her help.

When Sola felt the dirt hit her face, she immediately felt like reaching for her sword and slicing a fresh scar into Oldon, but she stopped herself before she reached the blade's handle. She still continued to walk slowly and carefully to Oldon, and she sat beside him, as if nothing had happened. She wanted to put in a few words.

"I really liked your parents too. I felt really comfortable around them. We were all practically family. I wish they were around too, but we just have to move on." Sola said.

"Easy for you to say." Oldon said.

Sola would have gotten aggressive now had she not been so much at peace. Her whole state of mind changed since going to Alinor again. Sola remained calm, making sure to give Oldon the patience that he would need.

"If it means anything, my parents love you like family...I love you...like family." Sola said, breaking the moment of tenderness with her having to add on the 'like family' indirect object for clarity.

"What matters is the fact that my family, the ones who raised me since I was a cub, is gone." Oldon said.

"I can't identify with that. But if it matters at all, I'm here for you." Sola said.

Sola reached over and hugged Oldon, who quickly collapsed in her arms, and silently shed more tears. At this point, Sola was not worried about how Oldon's tears might stain her dress, or about how strange it would look with a Khajiit crying on her shoulder. She just stayed strong for as long as she could, keeping her emotions about finally being home at bay, before she just had to get them out, with tears coming from her eyes again.

"And, you know, I'm very thankful for you, for Nerwaye, and how you convinced me to come back home with you. Thank you." Sola cried.

"From Auridon to Bangkorai, I searched for you. I missed my family the whole time, but coming home now, I realized that everything will fade away, and that I should not live in the past, but in the present. Thank you for that." Oldon said.

Sola said nothing. The two just sat there for a minute, Sola comforting Oldon, with Magnus setting in the background. Then, Oldon felt fine enough to continue with his life, and stop living in the past. He had a future to look forward to, and the future was right there for him to grab.

"Thank you for the…" Oldon said, Sola returning to the door with him.

"Don't say another word. You're welcome." Sola said with a smile.

The two went back inside, and Nerwaye sat there, looking at them a bit strangely at first, but then she went back to talking to her parents like she was before. Sola and Oldon sat back down and continued on with the constant stories. Eventually, everyone was physically tired from the day's events, and they were all ready to go to sleep. The parents sent Oldon to Nerwaye's old room, and had Sola and Nerwaye stay in Sola's old room. The parents liked Oldon, but they still did not want him in a room alone with their two daughters. Sola and Nerwaye sat around their room with a final bit of conversation for the night.

"This is where it all happened, isn't it?" Nerwaye asked Sola.

"Yeah, it is. I climbed out of my window and left." Sola answered.

"I feel sorry for Oldon; having found out his parents died." Sola said after a silence.

"Well, what can you do?" Nerwaye asked.

"Nothing I guess." Sola said.

"Wait...he's not here. Oldon left." Sola said, sitting up a bit straighter.

"What makes you say that?" Nerwaye asked.

"What? You'd really think that he'd just let his parents be killed, find out about it, and then do nothing about it?" Sola asked.

"I...no, he wouldn't." Nerwaye answered.

"I'm finding him then." Sola said, grabbing her staff and sword.

"Normally, I'd tell you no, but I think I have to agree with you this time…" Nerwaye said.

"Right. So, want to come with me?" Sola asked, holding a staff before Nerwaye.

"No, but I will." Nerwaye answered, taking the other staff.

The sisters left their house in the dead of night. Tracking where Oldon went would be difficult, but not impossible; with the help of magic, it would be easier. But until they found a starting point, they would be left in the dark to search.

Oldon ran. He was charged with lightning, and he ran towards the one place he knew to never go as a child: the cave in the local mountain. There was something there, something bad, in order for him to never be allowed to go there when he was young. Oldon came to the conclusion that if those murderers were anywhere, it was there. He was right. Oldon rushed into the cave, and when the bandits saw him, they attacked. Oldon let a howl of lightning, and the bandit disintegrated. And from there, Oldon pulled out his greatsword and continued on.

The cave was full of trash and waste, and it smelled horrible, but the bandits hid here, and now, Oldon would enact his revenge. And he did. Bandit after bandit he killed, and he pushed on deeper and deeper. After slaughtering his way deep in the cave, Oldon came upon a door. The door was Daedric in style, and it slowly creaked open when Oldon approached it. It sent a thought to his mind: his world as he knew it, burning. How one day, Daedra would march across Nirn, killing. The blackness told him that that time had come. How now, through approaching the door, the portal had been opened, and destruction would ensue. The blackness sent out its cold hand, and pulled Oldon into darkness. Oldon did not see much, but as the light of Nirn quickly faded away, he saw Dremora marching out, and entering Nirn.

Oldon thought to himself what he had done, what he had caused for enacting his revenge. This punishment was fitting for his actions. Everything that he had done was fitting of this. In the end, he thought that this punishment was going to be eternal, and because he had just damned the world, so be it. Oldon's final thought before he faded completely away into the darkness was Sola, and how hard she was going to look for him, repaying the goodwill that had been shown to her. Then, the darkness ensued, and Oldon closed his eyes, hoping for grace from punishment.

Discussion of "Back to the Family"

Here we have a notably darker turn now. Our light story has only lasted for so long. We are left with a dark ending that foreshadows the events of the next chapter in the story. But before we get to that, let me discuss what has happened in "Back to the Family".

We already see that Sola has become much more calm, and has started to settle down. No longer does the relationship between her and Nerwaye seem as stressed. In addition, Oldon and Sola seem to get along. That does not change that Sola does not want to see her family, for lack of a better word. Sola has the thought that those two are just there to hold her back.

We get something very unique here in "Back to the Family", and it occurs several times. It is a feminization of Sola. Before this excerpt, the fact that Sola is female does not imply much, or add much to her. We know she is attractive, and in "The Chosen of the Storm", we first see the initial description of her potential for captivation, but it is not until "Back to the Family" that we see something more. We see Sola taking care of her hair, and it is described as soft and lustrous. We, of course, know she has brown hair, which is a trait shared by her family, and we know it is bobbed, but only now do we actually see Sola take care of her hair. Right in the beginning, we see it being mentioned as tied back, and later, she washes it. We see little description of her hair like this before "Back to the Family". There is further feminization of Sola. This time, however, it borders on sexualization. There is mention of Sola bathing, which is indicative of cleanliness. However, the situation where we read about Sola bathing is then sexualized due to a humorous misunderstanding between Sola and Vyrkyl. Later, we see even more sexualization. This time on the subject of Sola's breasts. I really want to point out how we do not see this before "Back to the Family". Of the two mentions to Sola's breasts, we have one sexual reference, and one non-sexual. The sexual reference is, as you read, made by a drunk Altmer when Sola and Nerwaye are enjoying their conversation. The second occurrence is made a bit later, when Nerwaye's baby, Urcelmo, reaches for Sola's breasts so he can eat.

You may dismiss this case as insignificant. So did I. But, as always, I had to do some research. In my research, I went to Cloudrest, to see, feel, and hear how Sola would have back in the Second Era. While most records from the Second Era are now completely rotted away, stories are very much alive. I went to the local library, hoping for scholars of Magna-Sola to exist where she was most popular. Of course, there were none. However, there were a few famed storytellers who were there, reading up, looking for more stories to tell. I approached them, not knowing they were only storytellers. I figured that because they were holding copies of works surrounding Sola Auroron and Magna-Sola, that they were scholars in the topic. They told me they were not, rather only storytellers. Still, I figured that they had to know something on Sola. I asked. Most of what they said I already knew. However, there was one interesting bit that they said. It was that Urcelmo and Sola, once the baby grew up, would live in Cloudrest with his aunt. Not only that, but in many ways, she grew to be a mother to him. I asked where this information came from. I brought up the fact that I was the lead, but not that I was the only, researcher on Magna-Sola. And how never had I heard about this. I was told that it was not something recorded in storybooks, but rather passed down from generation to generation.

This may seem lost when applied to the situation about Urcelmo wanting to suckle from Sola. However, my theory that Sola Auroron was celestially destined to become Magna-Sola, can easily be applied to every aspect of her life; that she was destined to fight in Cyrodiil, that she was destined to meet Oldon and Nerwaye during her stay at the Elsweyr gate. Similarly, Urcelmo was destined to try and feed from Sola. It was foreshadowing that Sola would become a mother figure to Urcelmo, not physically of course.

While Sola's relationship with Oldon and Nerwaye seem to be at a high point, we also see her relationship to her parents restored. In a heart-touching moment, where all aspects of the world come into play, the setting is built as a nostalgic, beautiful, warm painting where this reuniting can take place. Whereas in "The Start of an Adventure" we see Sola leave her parents in a state of disarray and confusion, when she returns, she is happy to see her parents, and they all love one another again, and all is well.

It would make sense for the saga to end here, on a happy, high note. Where the ending is always happy and ideal. That is not the case. There is a continuation, even still. Oldon runs off when he finds out his parents were killed. He hunts for revenge. In doing so, he releases an ancient evil that not even the Daedric Princes wanted to deal with. This leads us to "Atop the Tower".

"Atop the Tower"

"Atop the Tower" is considered to be the pinnacle of all of the stories that contain reference to Sola Auroron. Often considered to be the finale, it is certainly the longest legend, and the most intimate and epic. It actually picks up right where "Back to the Family" ends. A nondescript three days goes by, where Sola and Nerwaye search for Oldon, despite the fact that he has been transported to a different realm of Oblivion.

As we will all later see, "Atop the Tower" introduces a lot of new characters with whom we share adventures with. While not delved into as in depth as Nerwaye and Sola, these new characters have their own backstories which we do not know, and are only hinted at.

As a precaution, I want to note that "Atop the Tower" is cumulative, meaning you need to know everything that was written beforehand to know everything that is mentioned within the novel.

The length of "Atop the Tower" is certainly unique. It takes up substantial room in this compilation work, and is most certainly the most impactful. It also took quite a bit of time to research. The actual research that needs to be done before reading is minimal, due to the fact that it picks up with the end of "Back to the Family". However, as we will see, there is substantial knowledge that I have included in the discussion.

Allow me to present "Atop the Tower".

"No, he isn't just gone!" Sola told Nerwaye.

Sola and Nerwaye had been looking for Oldon for a few days, and they had failed to find out any clue as to where he might be. Then, Nerwaye decided to at least let Sola know that Oldon was probably never coming back, and from there, the two sisters got into an argument.

"Sola, it's been three days. We can't just search forever. What about our parents? We came here to spend time with them." Nerwaye said.

"You expect me to spend time with them when Oldon is lost somewhere? I have a very bad feeling about this, and…" Sola started to say.

"Okay, I've heard it a thousand times already! You feel something wrong in the air. Okay, you don't need to show off every five minutes because you are a good mage." Nerwaye said.

"I've been to Craglorn, and you can feel the stars being out of order. This isn't like that at all, it's worse. It feels like being next to a dark anchor." Sola said.

"Look, it was really nice being able to spend time with you and what little time there was with mother and father, but I have a child to take care of, and I'm missing him right now." Nerwaye said.

"What, are you heading back to Cyrodiil then? Go to the docks and find transport?" Sola asked, angry.

"Oldon wouldn't have given up on you this easily." Sola added.

"Wayshrines. I guess they're faster. I'll use that. Save a long time." Nerwaye answered.

"You love your child, I can understand that, but he isn't the only person who needs something right now. Oldon could be captured, and he might need help getting out." Sola said.

"Look, Sola, I'm sorry, but Urcelmo holds a better place in my heart than Oldon, our parents, or even you. I'm sorry, but you'll understand when you have children." Nerwaye said.

Sola had become a bit heartbroken by Nerwaye's want to return to her child. It was understandable, but Sola kept it forward in her mind that Oldon had looked for her across Tamriel, and Sola was not going to let that debt be unpaid. It took a lot for Sola to feel as if she owed someone something, and this was one of those times.

"He searched for me with you. He seriously joined the Dominion to look for me. You did the same. He'd do the same for you. I'm disappointed that you'd abandon him." Sola said angrily.

"Sola, it's not that…" Nerwaye tried to say.

"No! You've made yourself very clear, Nerwaye, go ahead, go back to Cyrodiil, and go have fun with your kid, and make all the memories you want, and just let Oldon be left missing. It'll be all fine, because your stupid sister Sola will search for him, and it's best if you just sit home and go have fun drinking. And who knows, maybe you'll have another kid?" Sola said angrily.

"You know, I thought we were getting along. You've made it very clear that we aren't. Good day, Sola." Nerwaye said, leaving to go to the road to a local wayshrine.

Sola had the mixed feelings of being sad that her sister was leaving Oldon while he was missing, and she was angry that Nerwaye was leaving after all that Oldon would have done for her. Sola needed to get out these emotions, and show her sister how she felt. Sola, with her eyes misted with tears, pushed Nerwaye. Nerwaye kept her balance, but she looked back at Sola, turned around, and decided to pay back the favor for Sola. Nerwaye put her strength into her push, and pushed her little sister onto the ground. Sola felt the power, and saw the emotion on Nerwaye's face. When Sola hit the floor, she tensed up to possibly take a kick, but she looked up at Nerwaye. Sola's eyes were filled with tears and she looked as if she had been betrayed by her sister. Nerwaye looked like she wanted to apologize, but she knew that it would be interpreted as a sign of weakness by Sola, so she left Sola there, and Nerwaye walked off. While Nerwaye could not see it, Sola feebly held out her hand to Nerwaye as Nerwaye walked off.

Sola stood back up, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Sola walked to a nearby pond and looked at her reflection. There she stood, her light armor on, a sword on her hip and a staff in her hand. Her hair ran slightly over one of her eyes, and dropped to right above her neck. Some people may have seen that reflection as being the reflection of the strong Altmer mage, or of the medic that saved lives, but Sola only saw that reflection as being weak. Sola contemplated giving up too, but fresh in her mind was that Oldon did not give up on her. Sola felt like seeking help. There was a wayshrine close by, and Sola knew what she had to do. The Fighters Guild and Mages Guild would do nothing for her, despite her membership to both. Trying to pick up Dominion soldiers would result in harsh punishment. But she knew of one faction that might help her: the Undaunted.

Sola took the wayshrine to Elden Root, Grahtwood. She visited the local Undaunted enclave. Around there, some of the strongest warriors hung around. Warriors, mages, healers, everything, armored in the strongest armor, and armed with the strongest weapons ever. Plenty of these fighters were Fighters' Guild and Mages' Guild members, were Dominion fighters, but here at the Undaunted enclave, they were Undaunted, and they would plunge headfirst into fire for the adventure. Sola just had to find a way to get them to join.

While at the Undaunted enclave, Sola went to the cart where many of the members would hang around. Sola needed to get their attention, so Sola dug through her backpack, searching for something, and she found her war horn. Sola blew into her horn to get everyone's attention.

"Attention!" Sola announced.

All of the Undaunted dropped what they were doing, and everything fell silent, and they all stared at Sola.

"My friend is missing, and I need help." Sola announced.

"I want details, Altmer." An Undaunted yelled.

"He's a Khajiit, tall, and very strong in storm magic. I don't know where he went, but I need help searching. Can I get anyone to help?" Sola asked.

There was a bit of muttering among many of the Undaunted before one decided to speak.

"The Undaunted is about fighting and rewards plundered from the slain. Unless there is a new challenge that you know of, move on." An Undaunted yelled.

"If you find him, and he's trapped and strong enemies await, we'll get him out, but until then, I'm not a tracker." Another Undaunted yelled.

Sola said nothing in conclusion, she just ran out, on the verge of tears again. Sola quickly used a wayshrine to get back to Cloudrest. They all seemed so oblivious to what seemed to be coming on the wind. The air felt wrong, and it seemed as if Sola was the only one who felt it. So, Sola continued on her way to her village, hoping that Oldon had come back, or at least there was something that would say where he was. On the way there, Sola passed by the cave she remembered that she was never allowed to go near. On the basis that it was 'unsafe'. That was the only wish that Sola fulfilled for her parents. Then, it occurred to her that that was where the uneasy magicka in the air was coming from. Sola looked up, and storm clouds were gathered above the cave. That was Sola's solution: Oldon was in the cave. Sola's spirit was revitalized, and she took a few steps towards the cave, before something happened.

"Stand still!" A voice ordered Sola.

"Who is it?" Sola asked.

Sola turned around to see a body covered in heavy armor, and carrying a shield on his back, a sword on his hip, and a Templaric spear in his hands. His whole presence radiated light and energy. Sola was intrigued, and she stood in place, obeying.

"Who are you?" Sola asked.

The man looked up at Sola, and took his helmet off. There, it revealed that he was an Imperial, with a monk's haircut, and eyes of comfort and friendliness. Around his neck was a necklace that had Meridia's symbol on it. Sola knew instantly that it meant that this man was a follower of Meridia.

"My name is Sanctius Luxen." Luxen answered, kneeling to Sola.

"You are a follower of Meridia." Sola said.

"I can tell the same from you. Though your presence seems to feel as if there is much more than just that." Luxen said.

"What did you want?" Sola asked.

"I felt the magic go awry when walking to a village close to here. It's Daedric and malevolent. It must be cleansed. It is unsafe, Altmer, so if you would please step away and I can handle this." Luxen answered.

"You said you could tell I was a follower of Meridia. And I'm more than capable of handling myself." Sola added.

"You are a mage, I presume." Luxen said.

"Mage is...is an understatement. I'm much more. I specialize in all types of magic. Destruction is probably my weakest one, but I have experience in Restoration, Templaric, Daedric, Vampiric, and Dark magic." Sola said.

Luxen was taken aback. This woman claimed to be a follower of Meridia, yet dabbled in darker schools of magic. Luxen had looked at this woman wrong. His initial impression was that this woman was nothing other than a young, innocent Altmer. What was it that was not innocent about her? She had a long purple dress on, a cute short haircut, large green eyes, and the way that she held herself made her look confident yet innocent. But the girl made it clear that this was certainly not the case. Luxen thought about it, and that dress did have a notable amount of padding on, and those green eyes were also seductive and intimidating.

"Really?" Luxen asked.

"Of course. I am a skilled mage. I'm not skilled with Akaviri fire magic, or Earthen magic, but when it comes to Templaric and Restoration magic, I'm very well-trained." Sola answered.

"I try to avoid using Daedric and Vampiric magic because they have strange effects on me." Sola added.

"Well, it's good to meet you...Miss…" Luxen said.

"Sola Auroron." Sola answered.

"So, were you going to investigate what's going on here?" Sola asked.

"I was. I was. I think I saw a few Daedra running around earlier." Luxen answered.

"How long ago?" Sola asked.

"Just a few minutes ago." Luxen answered.

"Let's see if they're still here." Sola said.

Sola cast a Detect Daedra spell. She searched around the area to look for any Daedra. In her immediate sight, there was nothing. But she kept on searching, and while there was no Daedric life, there was a lot of energy coming out of that cave. It seemed as if Sola now had an answer as to why she was never allowed to go exploring in that cave as a child. Now, however, Sola would go exploring, and find out the mysteries deep within.

"Nothing." Sola said.

"Really? Good." Luxen said.

"I think my friend may have gone in here. He went missing a few days ago, and if he's in here, that's good. If not, I don't know where he'd be." Sola said.

"Well, nothing to find out like going in." Luxen said.

"I'm ready." Sola said.

Sola and Sanctius Luxen stepped into the cave. It felt dark, and the two of them could feel the darkness; it felt cold. They walked uneasily down the cave, searching for any clues of Oldon, or for any clue as to why this cave seemed to be the source of a magical anomaly. They got clues to both of their questions. Sola looked at the shocked bodies and piles of ash on the floor, and figured that if anyone went through here, it was either Oldon, or it was some other kind of person with control of storm magic. As for the source of the energy inside the cave, Luxen could tell that they were getting closer and closer to the source, but that it was more and more deep in the cave, and Luxen was wary over if he would find attackers.

Finally, they reached the source of what seemed to be the magical power. It felt like darkness, and object itself was a dark portal to Oblivion. Sola and Luxen looked around for a second before continuing with their search.

"Portal, to Oblivion, I presume." Luxen said.

"Yeah, I could say that, but which Prince, and where? I never thought that a portal could feel this...devoid of anything." Sola said.

"Hm...not one that I'd recognize. The Daedra I saw were mostly Dremora and Clannfear, so that does narrow down the options." Luxen said.

"I'd feel if it was a portal to Coldharbour, and not as if those even exist; you can just use a dark anchor. But there's no way that this is from a good prince. There have to be some that it could be. Peryite? Mehrunes Dagon? Malacath?" Sola said.

"Dagon? Maybe...maybe. Unless there's some other prince that I don't know of." Luxen agreed.

"Well, there's only one way to find out what's in there." Sola said.

"What? You'd do that? How do you get out?" Luxen asked.

"I make a portal out. Easy once you use enough Daedric magic." Sola answered.

"You aren't a Seducer, trying to lead me here just to kill me, are you?" Luxen asked.

"Seducer? What are you trying to say? If you weren't here, I'd be here by myself." Sola said.

"Now, come on, let's go through. If it's a place we can reach again, I can grab the Undaunted to take it out; I already talked to them." Sola said.

"Well, Miss Auroron, my life is in your hands, I guess." Luxen said, standing by the portal.

"Don't worry, I've been to the Colored Rooms, Coldharbour, Apocrypha, the Shivering Isles, and a few of the demiplanes. I have some experience." Sola bragged, stepping right up to the portal.

They stepped through. Out they emerged to a plane of fire. In the distance, there was a single, long tower that looked over the plane. Sola and Luxen stood, looking at the tower. Over it, storm clouds were brewing violently, and thunder boomed. Sola looked intently at the storm clouds, and then, she heard a scream. A scream so loud and thunderous that it resonated throughout the realm. In an instant, Sola knew it was Oldon, and she covered her mouth in shock.

"That's him. That's him." Sola said.

"So I see. Then let's go get him if we can." Luxen said.

The two started towards the tower. They walked carefully, searching around them everywhere. The air smelled of sulfur, and made Sola want to throw up. Lava flowed around the whole realm, with floes of stone slowly sinking into the lava. Even though there was nobody in sight, Sola felt as she was being watched. Sola checked around the shadows of the stones, and nothing was there. Sola checked behind her, and nobody was there. Sola even looked at Luxen, and he looked back, acknowledging that he was suspicious of someone watching him. Then, Sola looked up at the tower, and a figure ran past a window.

"There's something watching us." Sola said, taking out her staff.

"Staff? I prefer an Aedric spear." Luxen said, conjuring an Aedric spear.

"Show off much?" Sola asked.

"It's a skill that took a long time to learn. I might as well get my use out of my training." Luxen answered.

"What? That was easy to learn. All of that Templaric stuff was just a step above Destruction. Once you learn basic destruction, then you have what you need for Templaric magic." Sola said.

"There's much more to Templaric magic than just destructive spells." Luxen said.

"Okay, you need very simple Conjuration, fire-based Destruction, and Restoration. Only difference between the spells is that you summon light, or channel light instead of fire or magicka. Easy." Sola said.

"I know that Altmer are very adept with magic. Do all of you pick up magic like this?" Luxen asked.

"No. Not all of us. My family does. I'm the most skilled of my recent family, but my sister Nerwaye is no pushover. Honestly, she's better with Destruction than me." Sola said.

"Nerwaye? That sounds very familiar." Luxen said.

"Don't get me started on her. Back to me. What I was saying is that all this magic, it's all simple. Once you get the concepts down, there's nothing stopping anyone from mastering magic. Magic only starts to get hard once you get past your basic schools. You go from basic Destruction to Templaric or Akaviri Ardent Flame, from there, you move up to Daedric, with cold-fire. Where do you go after cold-fire?" Sola asked.

"Cold-fire? Well, I am sorry, but I am rather limited on magical knowledge. I have knowledge with Restoration, Destruction, and Templaric." Luxen said.

"What? Let me answer it for you. Nothing. Cold-fire is nothing but combination of magic. Depending on how you use it, either frost fire, or Daedric and fire. You move from the basic school, to a different take on it, such as normal flame to Ardent Flame, and then you move onto combinations of schools of magic." Sola said.

"And, honestly, the different take is only slightly different from the original school. You just put in something special, and you get different effects. The hard part about combining spells is making an ideal combination." Sola said.

"You get that down, and you get this." Sola said.

Sola summoned a Daedric spear. It radiated with the energy of darkness, yet it combined all of the theory behind normal Templaric spells. Luxen looked at the spear with both interest and disgust. It was amazing that someone had actually done so much research and practice into using magic. At first sight, Luxen never would have guessed that Sola, this young Altmer, would have had an amazing knowledge in magic, and have enough practice to begin adopting apocryphal schools of magic. That being said, Luxen was disgusted because he did not like Daedric magic; he saw it as being disrespectful, and with his service to Meridia, it seemed as if Sola's practice of magic contradicted her duty to Meridia.

"Now, this little trick took me a good week to learn." Sola said.

"Of course, I try not to keep it with me too long. The thing about Daedric and Vampiric magic is that they can be very...addicting. It's a dark deal. You sacrifice humanity for power." Sola said, dispelling the Daedric spear.

"And one too many times I've suffered the consequence for Vampiric magic." Sola said.

"You don't look like a vampire." Luxen said.

"I'm not. I just learned the magic though. Very interesting, the idea of siphoning life and making it your own." Sola said.

"I love magic though. We get Oldon out of here, and you need to know anything, and I'll teach you it." Sola said.

"Hold up. We need to keep focused." Luxen said.

"I'm trying to be friendly, and, I mean we're both Templars, so I figured that there'd be some kind of common ground with magic. Just trying to make friendly conversation. That's the problem I have with people. I'm not friendly, and I'm putting myself out there as a friend, and…" Sola said.

Then, out of nowhere, Dremora emerged with their weapons ready. These Dremora looked different than Molag Bal's. They looked like they were weaker, but they held a greater loyalty. While these Dremora were thinner and shorter, and had rusty armor and weapons, they stood straight and prideful. They had the determination to fight. Then, one single Dremora approached out of the others, slowly walking forward, with a large maul in his left hand, dragging it behind him. He approached to talking distance with Sola and Luxen.

"Who are you?" The Dremora asked.

"Sola Auroron. This place has my friend here, and I want him back." Sola answered.

"I am Sanctius Luxen, servant of Meridia." Luxen answered.

"Who am I? I am the next Daedric Prince. Where you stand is the realm of ruling. I have my soldiers who are more loyal than any other group of soldiers. For years, decades, centuries, I was stuck here, banished, and I was alone. I found out how to escape; it took me years. Over so long, I ventured the realms of Oblivion where others just like me were banished. I found them, I united them, I led them. For centuries we have been trapped. Mehrunes Dagon himself banished me, and locked me away forever, with the only way to leave to be a gate deep within a cave on the mortal realm. This would mean that there would be no destruction brought to Nirn, and there would be no me usurping Mehrunes Dagon's throne. Then, a mortal came to the door, and it opened. And now, I, Prince Xinryk, will attack Nirn, destroy Coldharbour, and finally destroy the Deadlands, and take my place at the top of all of the Daedric Princes, and then, I will repair the schism between the Aedra and I, and I will ascend the ultimate throne, and succeed Lorkhan himself, and from there I will destroy all of the Aedra, and become the sole power across all of Oblivion! And it starts here, and you two will be the second to see my power! Prepare to die!" Prince Xinryk announced.

Sola's eyes widened. It was a very weird occurrence for this to be happening. Sola looked over to Luxen, who was also looking very inquisitive. Then, all of the soldiers took steps in towards them. Luxen was wary and looked around and nearly flinched. Sola was perfectly fine, but inside her mind, she was planning how to get out.

"So, I'm not sure if we can get out of here." Luxen said.

"Don't worry. Just jump." Sola said.

Sola focused. An aura of light came around her. There was only one way to get out alive, and it did not involve saving Oldon. He would just have to wait a bit longer. Sola called upon her power to summon a portal. It opened to darkness, a cold darkness. Sola had to remember how to open that portal again, or it was very possible that she may never be able to return. So Sola leaped into the portal, and Luxen looked unsure, but then he too leaped into the portal.

They came out of the portal, and they were in Coldharbour, right in the middle of a squad of several Dremora. There was a leader sitting in a chair, right in front of the portal. So when Sola came out of the portal, she flew right into the leader's arms, who was shocked at what had just happened. Luxen came out a second later, and landed on his feet.

"Who are you mortals? Who are you to intrude like this?" The Dremora leader asked.

"Get in there! Right now! There's someone who wants to take down Molag Bal!" Sola yelled, running off.

The Dremora looked at Luxen, who was staring at all of the Dremora with fear for his life. Sola looked back, and saw that the Dremora were about to attack him. Sola ran back to ensure that their escape was covered.

"Get in there! There's some crazy Daedra who wants to kill all of us!" Sola yelled, pushing one of the Dremora into the portal.

"Hold on! Who are you?" The Dremora leader asked.

"Get in there before…!" Sola yelled, not knowing what to say.

"You, we're leaving!" Sola yelled, running off, Luxen quickly following when the Dremora started to enter the portal.

"What is going on?" Luxen asked, keeping up with Sola.

"I've covered us for a little bit. Let's find a wayshrine." Sola said.

"Wayshrine? I can't use those!" Luxen said.

"What in Oblivion?! Fine, we'll find another way out." Sola said, finding the exit to Coldharbour.

They exited the area they were in, and instantly, a Dremora came rushing out and running off to somewhere else. It was probable that he was going to alert others. Still, Sola and Luxen kept on moving. Sola then remembered that Vyrkyl had been working in the Coldharbour prison ever since Sola had left to go home. So, Sola needed to find a way to the Coldharbour prison, and she thought that she might know how to get there.

"Where are we going?" Luxen asked.

"Look, I said I'm very learned in Templaric magic, and I am, but...okay, I'm not the little pure Altmer girl, or the holier-than-you Templar. I have a lot of connections everywhere, so I want you to be aware that some of the things that I do and the people I know may not be the best, so you might feel really weird." Sola said, marching adventurously.

"Where are we going?" Luxen asked, a bit more seriously.

"I have a friend, a servant, or whatever you want to call him. He's Vyrkyl, and he's a Dremora warden at the Coldharbour prison, so, just be careful." Sola said.

"How in Oblivion did you meet a Dremora?" Luxen asked.

"Well, I got captured by Worm Cult...well, actually, it's a really long story. So, I left my family a few years back, so I went exploring in a cave, and there were Worm Cultists, and a Dremora tried to capture me, and a few minutes later, the warden was sent in, and I eventually came to a deal that if I went to Coldharbour, I wasn't treated like a prisoner. Then I needed his help a few other times, and that's the end of that." Sola answered.

"I am sure I will get it more when I see him." Luxen said.

The two kept on moving throughout Coldharbour. They noticed that many Dremora were closing in on that portal that Sola had made. Thankfully Sola and Luxen were ignored by the advancing Dremora forces. After an hour, they were able to reach the Coldharbour prison, and Sola and Luxen entered without any resistance.

"Okay, so, we can't go around breaking people out, or we'll get put in prison." Sola said.

"Understood." Luxen said.

As soon as Luxen said that, he looked around, and all around were prison cells full with soul-shriven prisoners, crying and screaming. Luxen saw and heard this and he was heartbroken. All of these people who were captured were never going to leave, and they would be forced to work for the rest of their lives until they were driven insane and unleashed upon the invading mortals. Luxen felt sorry for everyone, because he used to be one of them.

Luxen was a soldier sent into Coldharbour right when the Planemeld began. Among a group of Meridia's self-proclaimed servants, he had been sworn to celibacy and to keep and perform all different types of rites. Staying away from Daedra was one of these, and he was right up close to plenty of them, with no intent for Luxen to kill. He was feeling very uncomfortable, but it was worse at one point in time. Luxen remembered being trapped in this prison. He remembered attempting to attack the prison with fellow servants of Meridia, with intent to free prisoners, but in the end, they were either captured or killed. During that time, Luxen had his soul taken from him, and now, he felt the emptiness within him. After being broken out of Coldharbour's prison, he fled back to Nirn to plan his next moves. He knew that this would not have happened had he been stronger, so Luxen set to training, with intent to stop the Planemeld once and for all. He would be the Light that shone in the darkness, and he would be the one who brought peace back to Nirn. Then, his order was attacked by Worm Cult, and Luxen fought back. He killed the invaders, but by that time, most of his order was dead, and the survivors had fled. Luxen was even more driven to attack the Daedra. But then, Luxen realized that he could no longer be safe in Cyrodiil; between the advancing Daggerfall Covenant and present Daedric soldiers, Luxen made the decision to temporarily renounce his Imperial loyalty and instead join up with the Aldmeri Dominion. He chose the Aldmeri Dominion because he knew that the Altmer disapproved of Daedra, of course, Luxen paid no attention to their dislike of Meridia. Luxen would have a better chance of being accepted among the Dominion and have greater support for training, and have more access to soldiers. For his training, Luxen cleared out caves full of monsters and Daedra, he attacked Dark Anchors with local guards, and he meditated. The call did not end with patrolling Alinor, however. He felt called back to Cyrodiil. He joined for the purpose of clearing out Daedra and Worm Cultists. In Cyrodiil, he trained even more, training for the day when he would take the fight back to Coldharbour. However, while in Cyrodiil, Luxen made a rather large mistake, violating one of his rites. Not that it actually affected him, seeing as his order was either dead or in hiding, but he took it as a sign of weakness, caving into his primal desires. From there, he decided it was best to get away from temptation, which he did, by returning to Alinor. Then, many months later, he stumbled to this cave and met Sola, and they were forced into the situation they were now in.

Sola moved through the Coldharbour prison with purpose. Luxen followed behind, careful to not get lost. Sola made her way from the cells to the quarters of the Dremora. Sola walked up to a specific door, as if driven by clairvoyance, and she knocked on the door.

"Open up!" Sola yelled, banging wildly on the door.

A hulking Dremora opened the door, his helmet off. When he opened the door and looked down at Sola, he let out a large breath before saying anything. It was clear that whatever was going to happen would not be pleasant for him.

"What is it?" The Dremora asked.

"Hey, how's it going, Vyrkyl?" Sola asked.

"Cut it. There's something important going on." Vyrkyl ordered, pointing to behind him, where a superior Dremora sat.

"I need a way out of Coldharbour." Sola said.

"Wayshrine. Problem solved. One right in the library." Vyrkyl said, about to turn around.

"Woah, not so fast, buddy. I know that. But this man can't use wayshrines, or won't use them. So, give me a solution." Sola said, flinging out her staff and tapping Vyrkyl with it

"Who's he?" Vyrkyl asked, almost aggressively.

"Sanctius Luxen, some knight of Meridia, like me." Sola answered.

"But between you and me, he's afraid of Daedra." Sola added.

"I'm right here." Luxen said.

"I know." Sola said.

"Well...just let me finish this meeting. Then I can see what I can do." Vyrkyl said.

"What's this about?" Sola asked, sticking her head into the room to see what was going on.

"None of your business." Vyrkyl said, moving Sola back outside the door.

"Excuse me?" Sola asked, her left hand aglow with light magic.

"...I meant there's something going on." Vyrkyl said, threatened by his master.

"Let me guess: invasion into Coldharbour by other Daedra?" Sola asked.

"You have something to do with this." Vyrkyl said.

"Well...of course, nobody else is that important. Everything must revolve around me." Sola said, sarcastically.

"I was searching for a friend, and I stumbled on this cave, which had a gate to a pocket of Oblivion. I found him, but I can't get him by myself. So, I made a portal out of there, going to Coldharbour, knowing that it would provide a good diversion, and then I was going to leave and let you deal with it, but I guess that isn't the case anymore." Sola said.

"Currently, Molag Bal has me moving guards to the portal that you opened, and having them fight." Vyrkyl said.

"So, get us out of here." Sola said.

"Just…" Vyrkyl tried to say.

"Now." Sola said.

"Fine." Vyrkyl said.

"Warden Vyrkyl, what are mortals doing outside their cells?" The visiting Dremora asked.

Vyrkyl quickly grabbed Sola's blade off of her hip, ran over to the Dremora, and sliced him to death.

"Come on, let's go. The library has to have something." Vyrkyl said.

"Wait...did you just…?" Luxen asked, in shock at Vyrkyl's actions.

"Yes. Now come on, let's go." Vyrkyl said.

The three wandered to the library, and there, Sola started to dig through the bookshelves, grabbing all manner of books and tomes, not necessarily ones pertaining to escaping Coldharbour.

"Hm...this seems interesting." Sola said, rummaging through the bookshelves and stuffing a book in her backpack.

"How does it say we leave?" Luxen asked.

"I doesn't. But I've wanted to learn about Bound Armors for a long time." Sola answered.

"So, you said that you don't like Daedric means of doing things?" Sola asked Luxen.

"No, I don't. It's a requirement for my rites." Luxen answered.

"Cool, well, I'm not sure of any way to travel without it." Sola said.

"The Mages' Guild uses portals, so there must be some way." Luxen said.

"There is, but I'm not concerned with normal ways of travel." Sola said.

"Okay, I found out how." Sola said, stuffing another Daedric book into her bag.

Sola created a portal and it shone with a brilliant white light.

"Okay, let's go." Sola said.

"I'll see you two off." Vyrkyl said.

"Nope. You're coming with us." Sola said, handing Vyrkyl a stack of books.

"Fine." Vyrkyl said, stepping through the portal.

"See you on the other side." Luxen said, stepping into the portal.

Sola took one last look around, and before she left, she grabbed two other books and went through the portal. They all emerged outside a camp. There was a nice tent set up and a fire pit ready. There was also a cave nearby. Sola silently walked over to the tent and opened it up and took stock.

"Where are we?" Luxen asked, the portal closing.

"It's my hideout. I set it up just in case things went badly. Enemies never look for their enemies in their own home." Sola answered.

"Oh, so we're in the Alik'r. That's why there's sand. And we're just on the coast." Luxen said.

"Um...yeah." Sola said.

"So, the portal took a lot out of me." Sola added.

"Well, we need a plan of attack." Sola continued.

"I was thinking...I know some people. I can probably convince them to help us." Luxen said.

"Me too. I know someone who can help us. How many people do you say we need?" Sola asked.

"Well, I was thinking that seven skilled people would be good. There's already you and I. I know three people who would be willing to help us. They're part of my order, and they're always looking for fights and honor." Luxen said.

"Good. I know three people too, but one of them is in that realm we were in, so...I have two people." Sola added.

"Right, then we need to get started on finding them." Luxen said.

"Vyrkyl! Get yourself over here!" Sola yelled.

"What is it?" Vyrkyl asked, having just got back from setting down the books.

"You're joining us in our fight." Sola said.

"Gladly." Vyrkyl said.

"Something you want to do? I'm surprised. Well, thanks." Sola said, Vyrkyl leaving back to putting the books in shelves.

"Found one." Sola told Luxen.

"Just this once will I allow myself to work with a Daedra, just out of necessity to end a greater threat." Luxen said.

"Well, he's the greater threat. He's from Coldharbour." Sola corrected.

"But I get what you mean." Sola said.

"It's getting late. I'm going to sleep. In the morning we can get started with this." Sola said, turning to her tent.

"Vyrkyl! Get out of there and go hunting for food!" Sola yelled into her tent.

"As you wish." Vyrkyl said, grabbing his bow and leaving.

"I wish to kill Daedra right now. I need revenge." Luxen said.

"Well, a Dark Anchor comes down a few kilometers away. Just try to stay out of sight." Sola said, going into her tent.

Luxen saw the Dark Anchor's chains fall onto the dolmen. He walked over to it, and saw it there. There were no members of the Worm Cult, or any Daedra around. Luxen wanted to kill this Dark Anchor; he had so much to take out at it. Luxen summoned an Aedric spear, lifted it to the air, and he heard Molag Bal challenge him.

Daedra emerged from the sky, attempting to attack Luxen, but Luxen fought them off with strong, fierce jabs with his spear. On and on the Daedra poured out; he fought off everything from Banekin, to Xivilai. Nobody could best him, until Molag Bal let out a final taunt, and out of the Dark Anchor emerged a Daedric Titan. It flew around the sky until it finally landed. It breathed deeply, in loud, hot breaths, waiting for something. There was no way that Luxen was taking it on alone, but then, the Titan attacked. With a scream, it came charging at Luxen. Luxen would not back down; he summoned a shield of light around him and looked at Magnus as it receded past the horizon, and he was inspired by it. Luxen attacked. He dove out of the way of the charge and then attacked the Titan with a quick stab. It was unphased, and swung around and hit Luxen onto the ground, and then followed with another roar. Luxen was hurt. He was dazed, and then, he saw a sword enter the ground right by his head. He looked up.

It was Vyrkyl. He took his sword back up and charged. The Titan charged at him too, and Vyrkyl quickly slid under the Titan, then spun up, slashing with this blade, cutting the Titan, who let out a scream of pain. Vyrkyl yelled out to the Titan in Daedric, and he continued to slash at it. Then, the Titan called upon its magical powers and flung Vyrkyl back into the ground, further back than Luxen. Vyrkyl was dazed from the attack, and he looked as if he could barely stand. But then, he lifted his head up, looked straight at the Titan, and yelled, and then he picked his sword back up from the ground and charged. He dragged the sword in the ground, creating brilliant sparks as he sprinted full force to the Titan. Vyrkyl prepared to swing; he readied his greatsword in one hand, quickly spun it around, and let loose a one-handed downwards cut, shearing two toes off of the Titan. Vyrkyl then spun his greatsword around in his hand, again. He aimed right at the heart of the Titan as it screamed in pain. Vyrkyl let his sword loose, and it spun and stabbed the heart of the Titan, and it died. Vyrkyl picked his sword up when the Daedra disintegrated, and he went over to the final Anchor pinion, and activated it, then, Molag Bal spoke.

"Warden Vyrkyl, why do you do this to me?" Molag Bal asked in Daedric.

"I have been commanded to." Vyrkyl answered in Daedric.

The Dark Anchor collapsed on itself, and it dissipated with an ejection of brilliant light and a boom of deafening sound. Vyrkyl went over to Luxen, not even looking at the chest of loot that had just fallen from the Anchor.

"Get up." Vyrkyl ordered, pulling Luxen up by his arm.

"Thank you." Luxen said, although he felt very strange with a Dremora this close to him.

"If the call was up to me, I would have let you learn your lesson." Vyrkyl added.

"I had no idea a Daedric Titan would emerge." Luxen said.

"Neither did I, but I was prepared to fight anything." Vyrkyl said.

"But there is a chest from the Master. Might as well take it." Vyrkyl said, opening the chest.

"Walk faster, mortal. I am not carrying this by myself." Vyrkyl said, Luxen barely being able to walk.

"I'm hurt. Can't do much." Luxen said, carrying a robe from the chest.

"Foresight is necessary, always." Vyrkyl said, grabbing everything else and then a sack of meat in the sand from earlier.

"Now, back to camp." Vyrkyl ordered, starting back to the camp.

They marched. Vyrkyl was holding the sack of meat from the animal he had killed earlier, and whatever treasure he found in the chest, which added up to two soul gems and a gold bar. Luxen was slowly hobbling in pain, struggling with carrying his small backpack and a clean robe along with his armor and weapon. Luxen had trouble with his healing spells, due to a lack of magicka in his blood. Normally, if Magnus was out, he would have no trouble channeling the power of it to aid him, but it was the black of night, and Luxen had already drained what little magicka he had. After two hours of walking, finally, they were back in camp. It looked as if Magnus was already about to rise. Luxen was tired, and hurt, and he did not feel any better after walking so far. When he came back to camp, he collapsed on his knees and took off his helmet. He saw Vyrkyl go and pick up the robe and he took everything to a tent and set it down.

Luxen tried to enjoy the fire, but that was very difficult considering his pain. Luxen thought that he might have several cracked ribs, seeing as he was having sharp pain with every breath. He looked at Vyrkyl, and how he managed to take down the Titan with no notable injury, and how he was able to walk in heavy armor perfectly fine. This Dremora certainly seemed to be better than him. Even then, his mind wandered to Sola, who seemed to be a very capable mage in all schools of magic, and she had only broadened her horizons with Daedric magics. He certainly was a bit jealous of her magical prowess, but still, Luxen was fine the way he was. With this thought about Sola, Luxen felt a presence behind him, and he painfully looked behind him.

Sola was standing there, in a spidersilk nightgown, looking unusually awake for this time of the morning. She had a sword with her, to fend off any attackers, but it would be unnecessary. Instead, Sola looked at Vyrkyl walking around and setting treasure down before she turned her eyes to Luxen, who she could tell was in pain.

"Let me guess, you tried to take the Dark Anchor." Sola said.

"I saved his ass!" Vyrkyl yelled.

"Figured. Come on, let's get you patched up." Sola said, walking back to her tent.

Luxen painfully walked into the tent, not knowing what to expect to see. He was pleasantly surprised. Sola had her single bed, with plenty of blankets and pillows, draped under a mosquito net. There was a bookshelf that held many magical texts and fantasy works. There were two chests: one for food and one for clothes. There was a glass flask of water to drink from and there was a wooden armory where Sola kept her weapons, which did not include the sword under her bed, or the dagger under her pillow. Sola then went over to her chests and warmly opened the mosquito net for Luxen.

"Come on, take off your armor and let me see. I just hope you aren't too dirty." Sola said, dousing her hands with alcohol.

Generally, Luxen would have refused help, and just downed a few potions to heal him, but this time he was out of potions. He took off his heavy armor, and that weight that dropped to the floor relieved him of a great deal of baggage. Sola went over to Luxen and inspected his muscular frame. He was average height for an Imperial, but he was strong. Sola would have expected him to be a massive iron-clad soldier, but Luxen looked much more like a monk instead. Where Luxen killed Dremora, Sola would have thought he would have been in a monastery, praising the Divines and handing out candy to children. He had a warm, welcoming face, and even his smile was welcoming, but Luxen was unexpected; Sola had no idea that such a warm-looking person lived inside that heavy armor.

Sola inspected Luxen's chest scientifically. There was a large scratch from his armor, and there was swelling in his sternum. Sola knew that there was little she could do other than use magic. So, Sola went over into her chest and grabbed a potion and carried it back to Luxen.

"Okay, so nothing I can fix on the outside. Here's this potion; it'll help with the pain. Now, I just need to cast a Restoration spell on you." Sola said, walking over to a staff.

"Okay, but no Daedric magic. Understood?" Luxen asked.

"I said Restoration." Sola said, bringing a staff with her back to Luxen.

Sola maneuvered the staff, bringing the head to Luxen's heart. She closed her eyes and let out a breath of life. She pulled in air, held it, and released a large, deep breath that was as calm as the blue skies. The staff reacted. Luxen felt the cold soul gem on the tip warm up with magical potency. The warmth spread throughout his body, giving him a sense of belonging and comfort. With each successive heartbeat, the warmth grew more and more welcoming, and Sola kept the magic flowing. Then, Luxen felt the magic kick in; he stopped aching and when Sola stopped her magic spell, the warmth kept flowing through his blood. Sola then handed over the small potion. While Luxen drank the potion, Sola went over into her chest of clothes and grabbed two dresses.

"Okay, get some rest. When you wake up, you'll be fine, just put this on until I finish washing your clothes and armor." Sola said, setting down a long purple dress.

"Right. Thank you." Luxen said.

"Yeah." Sola said, walking out, carrying the armor and her dress.

Luxen let out a deep breath when Sola left. The bed he was in certainly was soft, and there were plenty of soft fur blankets on top of the soft wool mattress. He put his head on a feather-filled pillow, covered himself liberally in the white blankets, closed the mosquito net, and then fell asleep quickly, drained from the Dark Anchor.

Sola walked outside, set down Luxen's armor, and then she went to go relieve herself and get changed; it was obvious that she would get no sleep for the rest of the day. After Sola was ready to begin her day, she picked up Luxen's armor and brought it with her to the river, to clean it. Sola looked at the armor: it was in fine shape and shone brilliantly. But it sure did smell like battle. Sola knelt down by the river bank with a cloth, rinsing the armor off and then wiping it down. Then, Sola thought about what she was doing, and then she wondered why she was doing this. Since when had she started to serve others like this? She never did, it was just that all of a sudden, she just did. Sola debated over stopping right there with her work, but she figured that she might as well finish it. She did.

Sola started to make her way back to her camp before she was distracted by a fruit tree. Having not eaten breakfast yet, she was rather hungry, and the peaches on the tree looked very appetizing. Sola decided to pick some to take back with her, which she did. Finally, three hours after she had left camp, she returned with Luxen's armor cleaned and his helmet full of peaches, although at this point Sola probably had gotten quite a bit of the armor sticky with peach juice. Finally, Magnus was raising up in the sky, and Luxen had gotten up from sleeping the magic off. When Sola returned, he was a sight to behold. He, of course, was wearing Sola's dress until Sola returned with his armor, and when Sola saw this she had to keep from breaking out and laughing. Luxen had a dress on that was too large for him, because Sola was several centimeters taller than him, and coupled with the dress being purple, Sola had to smile when she saw him, but she knew it was wrong, so in the end, when she saw Luxen, her mouth quivered and twitched, trying to keep a straight face, and to remedy that, after a few unbearable seconds, Sola covered her mouth and let out a silent laugh.

"By the Eight." Sola laughed.

Vyrkyl looked at the commotion and shook his head.

"Anyways, here's your armor." Sola said, setting down the armor on a mat.

"Now, I'm going to go gather another one of our allies." Sola said, grabbing a staff and leaving.

Sola walked down to the beach and looked out over the waters. They were calm and peaceful, with Magnus shining warmly upon Sola's soft skin. It was a nice day, but Sola was afraid that she would have to spoil her good day out of necessity. Sola prepared her magic for a portal; she focused on Cyrodiil, and on how far away it was. A portal appeared, and Sola walked into it.

Sola found herself by the East Elsweyr Gate, and the first thing that Sola did when she looked at the looming fortress was take a deep breath; she knew what she had to do. Sola walked into the border without any trouble, and she continued on, going to the housing. After an hour of walking, Sola came onto a familiar door, and she knocked, knowing who was going to answer the door: Nerwaye.

"Who is it?" Nerwaye asked from behind the door.

"Sola, your sister." Sola answered, anticipating any kind of reaction to her presence.

Nerwaye opened the door. She did not look excited to see her, but that being said, she was in no way dreading to see her sister. Sola looked as if she wanted something this time around. The only way Nerwaye could tell that was from the way she stood: just how she looked when they returned to their parents weeks ago, and just how she looked when talking to them as a child. Sola had her delicate hands clasped by her belly and she had a small smile on, with a bit of her hair running over her large green eyes. Had Nerwaye not seen this a thousand other times, perhaps she would have been tricked.

"Sola, did you find Oldon yet?" Nerwaye asked, jumping right to an important topic.

Sola's eyes widened at this. She grew angry and aggressive. Just a few seconds into talking with her beloved sister Sola was ready to attack her; it usually took more than that. But then Sola remembered the purpose of her being here, and it was not to attack Nerwaye, but to get her help, and certainly being aggressive with Nerwaye would cause her not to help, so Sola had to stand through Nerwaye's provocative words.

"No...that's why I'm here. I...I need your help." Sola said.

"My help? I can't believe that amazing Miss Sola Auroron can't solve everything by herself." Nerwaye said.

Sola's anger peaked again, and at this point, her whole demeanor had changed, and she was ready to attack. Sola's little fist clenched up and her face grew red with anger, but then, Sola remembered her purpose here, and assaulting Nerwaye could accomplish nothing. But Sola would not allow herself to be attacked verbally.

"You know, I come all the way here to beg for your help, and this is how to treat me. You're a great sister. Nevermind. I'll solve this myself." Sola said, turning around and walking off.

"Sola, I didn't mean it like that." Nerwaye said after letting out a deep breath.

"No, no, you've made yourself very clear. We'll pretend as if this never happened." Sola said.

"Okay, Sola, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been like that." Nerwaye painfully said.

"That's right. Now, down to business." Sola said.

"Come on, let's handle this inside." Nerwaye said, letting Sola inside.

Still the little housing unit was minimally furnished. The same Khajiit rested in a rocking chair with her two cubs, and Nerwaye had a little crib for her growing baby. Of course Sola plainly saw the bottles of wine and mead that had been put on shelves and stored in baby-proof places, coupled with a male Khajiit that had just stayed the night in a bed.

"What is it you need help with?" Nerwaye asked, picking up little Urcelmo when she walked in.

"I know it's going to be a lot to ask from you, but I need you to help me to save Oldon." Sola answered.

"I assume you found him." Nerwaye said, handing Urcelmo off to Sola and then starting to go through her drawers and pack things in a backpack.

"Yes, I did." Sola answered, petting her nephew.

"Where is he?" Nerwaye asked.

"Okay...I found him in a Daedric realm, captured." Sola answered.

"By the Eight…" Nerwaye said.

"And, the Daedra are preparing to attack Nirn, and they're all really strong." Sola added.

"Sola, can you anticipate my answer?" Nerwaye asked.

"But…" Sola said, following with a laugh.

"They're distracted. I opened a portal to Coldharbour. The two factions are engaged in a war as we speak. We can easily get the help of Molag Bal and his Daedric commanders." Sola said.

"Right, just go to Coldharbour and get help from our enemy?!" Nerwaye asked.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…" Sola said.

"That must be why we have a three faction war in Cyrodiil." Nerwaye said.

"Okay, you don't like that. That's understandable. However, I found someone, and he's a good fighter and has friends he can get to help us. Not just that, but we can ask the Undaunted for help, and maybe even the Mages' and Fighters' Guild." Sola continued.

"Now you're talking." Nerwaye said.

"Well, what do you say? Help your sister out?" Sola asked.

"I'll go. Can I bring Urcelmo?" Nerwaye asked.

"Of course." Sola answered.

"Okay, where are we going?" Nerwaye asked, closing her backpack and grabbing a staff and a sword.

"Akavir." Sola answered.

"Did...did I hear that correctly? Akavir?!" Nerwaye asked.

"Summerset isn't safe. I can't just set up shop in our old house." Sola answered.

"I mean, it could have been worse; I could have chosen Pyandonea." Sola added.

"Well, you couldn't have chosen Atmora?" Nerwaye laughed.

"Too cold." Sola answered.

"Okay then, I'll trust you on this one. Let's go." Nerwaye said, grabbing a two bottles of wine for the trip.

"Oh, and don't let the Imperial know that we're in Akavir; he'll probably try to swim back to Tamriel." Sola said, taking the bottle of wine when Nerwaye offered it.

"Understood." Nerwaye said.

An hour later, Sola, Nerwaye, and little Urcelmo were back at the camp in Akavir. Nerwaye looked at the nice little camp, but noticed it was short on room. Then again, Nerwaye realised that the lack of room was probably why Sola purchased a large tent back in Cyrodiil. When Sola came lugging in the tent with the help of Nerwaye, they were immediately assisted by Luxen and Vyrkyl. Of course, both of these faces were alien to Nerwaye. But of the two new faces, it was certainly Vyrkyl's that was surprising.

"What in Oblivion?!" Nerwaye exclaimed, dropping her side of the tent.

"Relax. He knows not to kill you. I'm not saying he's friendly, but he won't kill you." Sola said.

"Vyrkyl, set this thing up." Sola said, helping him move the collapsed tent to a suitable area.

"Right away." Vyrkyl said, starting to do her orders.

"Right, who's this?" Nerwaye asked, looking at Luxen.

"Sanctius Luxen, follower of Meridia." Luxen answered, sticking out an arm for a handshake.

"You sure do pick the greatest adventurers." Nerwaye said to Sola, not shaking the hand.

"You look rather familiar. Do I know you?" Luxen asked.

"What kind of question is that? Sola and I are sisters. You're just confusing her with me." Nerwaye said.

"Nerwaye, don't be so Altmer to him. Come on, introduce yourself. I won't force you to meet Vyrkyl." Sola said.

Nerwaye sighed.

"I'm Nerwaye Auroron. I'm Sola's sister." Nerwaye said.

"This is your sister? I was expecting so much more." Vyrkyl said.

"I'll send you back to Oblivion." Nerwaye threatened.

"I'll send you there with your child." Vyrkyl said.

"I'll send you there if you don't calm down." Sola told Vyrkyl.

"Okay, both of you are formally meeting. You two, introduce yourselves." Sola said.

Vyrkyl sighed.

"I am Warden Vyrkyl, mortal." Vyrkyl said, looking down at Nerwaye with crossed arms.

"Nerwaye." Nerwaye said.

"You have a child, so I see." Luxen said, looking at Urcelmo, who was fastened to Nerwaye's back.

"Yeah, his name is Urcelmo." Nerwaye said, turning around.

"Little mortal, I am Warden Vyrkyl, tremble in fear." Vyrkyl said to the baby.

Urcelmo just waved his arms weakly.

"He can't understand you." Sola said.

Vyrkyl stood silently in embarrassment.

"Right, so now that we've all met, why don't we all prepare to eat? I'll get started." Sola said, going over to her chest full of food.

Sola reached into it and grabbed a few choice items: salt-cured pork, flour, and potatoes. Sola was rather surprised with how well the first meeting had gone; there were no fights or significant death threats, so that was good. And now Sola would have to make food for them all and hope that none of them decided to kill one another. So, Sola went out and made dinner and they all ate. Afterwards they all went to sleep. Luxen went to his temporary tent, Vyrkyl wandered off to somewhere only to appear at morning, and Sola and Nerwaye shared the bed with little Urcelmo. Thankfully tonight he did not cry much. Morning came quickly and it was time to go back to finding allies for getting back Oldon.

"Right, so, I found everyone I could. You're next." Sola said, eating a slab of meat while talking to Luxen.

"I know plenty of people. Not all of them are followers of Meridia, but I can tell that it doesn't bother you." Luxen said.

"You know these people?" Sola asked.

"Know of them, I should say." Luxen said.

"Right. Where are we starting?" Sola asked.

"Orsinium." Luxen answered.

"I'll take us there." Sola said.

"Who do we need to take with us?" Sola asked.

"Let's leave Vyrkyl here." Luxen said.

"Fine. Nerwaye! Let's go!" Sola yelled into her tent.

Urcelmo started to cry.

"Damn it, Sola! He just went to bed!" Nerwaye said.

Nerwaye remained silent for a second and then emerged from the tent a minute later with a staff and sword, and a backpack.

"Okay. But I'll be worried the whole time we're gone." Nerwaye said.

"Don't worry." Sola reassured Nerwaye.

"Vyrkyl, no funny business with the baby." Sola warned.

"As you wish." Vyrkyl said.

"If he starts to cry, there's a bottle of my milk for him on the nightstand." Nerwaye said.

"Relax, he's probably just like taking care of a scamp. I'm sure he'll be fine." Vyrkyl said.

"See? I told you." Sola said.

"I still don't like it." Nerwaye said.

"Come on, ladies, let's go." Luxen said.

"Make the portal yourself then." Sola said with a smile, conjuring the portal.

They stepped through and entered northern Orsinium. It was cold, but the cold was welcoming, like bathing in a river after a hot day. Thankfully Luxen had warned them, so Sola and Nerwaye came prepared with fur overcoats. Luxen insisted that he did not need one, but Sola packed one anyways. They stepped around through Orsinium, following Luxen.

"So, who are we meeting?" Sola asked.

"He's an Orc, and he used to be part of the order I was in. He's a good man, but today he's a soldier for the Daggerfall Covenant. But I don't expect we'll find any trouble." Luxen answered.

"That's not enough." Sola said.

"Okay. His name is Aedric Fury. He's a Daggerfall Covenant soldier who used to be part of my order to Meridia. He left after he found out that the Planemeld was coming to Orsinium. He helped to stop the building of Dark Anchors and he also fought in the initial onslaughts. After that he joined up with the Covenant. He won't attack us on sight, so we don't have to worry much. He may have left the order, but by no means is he unreliable. Not that it even matters; we need help." Luxen continued.

"What's his fighting style?" Sola asked.

"Akaviri martial arts with the traditional sword and shield." Luxen answered.

"He'll fit right in." Nerwaye said.

"Just be wary. He's not exactly friendly-looking like me. He's very tall and strong. He and I contrast a lot." Luxen said.

"Hm. How far away are we?" Sola asked.

"Close. Close." Luxen answered.

They all came upon a small camp that was minimally furnished with a tent and a small campfire. There was nobody outside. Snow coated the cold ground with tall trees all around, and nearby there was a stream. It looked like a good place to live and hide. They walked into the camp and out came a large Orc to meet them.

"Aedric Fury." Luxen said once the Orc walked out.

Aedric Fury was by no means an average Orc. He was massive in height, and was very muscular. He did look quite a bit like a monster, with his tusks jutting out of his mouth and his dark green skin. Yet, he did stand very welcomingly. He stood there in some wool sweats without a shirt, so his sculpted chest was plainly visible. But just in case, Aedric Fury had an axe at his side.

"Sanctius Luxen." Aedric Fury greeted, bowing slightly.

"May Meridia bless you." Luxen said.

"The Light of Merid-Nunda upon you too." Aedric Fury said.

"Oh, the Aedric Fury. I remember hearing stories about you." Sola said, her arms crossed.

"What brings you and two fine ladies out into the cold of Orsinium?" Aedric Fury asked in his strong yet welcoming voice.

"It is important business." Luxen answered.

"Where are my manners? Come on inside. Let me get you all something to eat." Aedric Fury said, leading them into the tent.

The tent was plain. It had a bedroll, a chest for food and clothes, and a small cooking fire with a metal grate over it. On the fire was a pot of fresh stew. They all walked into the warm tent and sat down on a clean little rug by the cooking fire. There, Aedric Fury grabbed stone bowls and served each one of them a helping of his great goat stew.

"So, what is it that you wished to talk about? Is it proper to discuss in front of these fine ladies?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Well, talking about the women here, maybe they should introduce themselves." Luxen said.

"Nerwaye Auroron." Nerwaye said, showing her right hand while holding the stew in her left.

Sola remained silent for a bit; it was obvious that she had currently been kicked out of her leadership position and she did not like it one bit. The stew was good, but she would have gotten it if she was the leader of this expedition.

"Sola Auroron." Sola said, giving a fake smile.

"Sisters? How nice of you two to get along so well." Aedric Fury said.

The two sisters remained silent, giving each other looks.

"Right, back to business. There is a crisis that requires your attention." Luxen said.

"Where?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Alinor." Luxen answered dramatically.

"Covenant soldiers are not welcome there. Anyways, Sanctius, I thought you defected to the Dominion. You know that it is dangerous to be here." Aedric Fury said.

"So, these sisters are both Altmer, I presume." Aedric Fury added.

"They are." Luxen said.

"They have a friend that has been captured and he needs rescuing. But, even more important is that there is an invasion on Alinor. Daedra have emerged from the darkest depths of Oblivion. I know that your formal service to Meridia ended when you left the order, but somewhere deep inside you, that Light must be within you. I ask that you help us cleanse Alinor of the Daedra. This is a problem that transcends borders of nationalities or race. This is a problem that will leak over to the whole of Tamriel and Nirn if we do not stop it." Luxen said.

"You are asking a lot, Sanctius. A lot. I abandoned the order because I was afraid for my life." Aedric Fury said.

"That is why we joined alliances. We wanted to get this war over with so we could end the threat of Coldharbour. We knew that there was no ending the Planemeld without the war ending first." Luxen said.

"I remember. I was there with you in Coldharbour. I think that if I abandoned you there, I can help you now." Aedric Fury said.

"Let me pack my things." Aedric Fury added.

"Your service will be honored by all. If not at least the fine company here." Luxen said.

"Where are we operating out of?" Aedric Fury asked.

"The Alik'r Desert." Luxen answered.

"Right, I can be there very soon. Tell me where specifically." Aedric Fury said.

"Oh, that isn't necessary. I'm a great mage and can open a portal to the camp and get us there immediately." Sola said, trying to cover her tracks.

"My fair Lady Auroron…" Aedric Fury tried to say chivalrously.

"It's Sola. Please, just Sola." Sola corrected.

"Miss Auroron, I prefer to travel on foot; it gives me time to think." Aedric Fury said.

"Okay, Sola, the Khajiit is out of the bag." Nerwaye said.

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Luxen asked Sola.

"Yes. But you never really cared to ask. The base isn't in the Alik'r like you said it was. It's in Akavir." Sola said.

"By the Exegesis of Merid-Nunda!" Luxen exclaimed.

"What? You know, I just never bothered to correct you." Sola said.

"No, I am sure that you said Alik'r once before." Luxen said.

"No. I would never do that. Alik'r, Akavir, they sound so similar. You just need to clean out your ears." Sola said.

"How long have you two know each other for?" Nerwaye asked.

"What, it's been a few days?" Sola answered.

"You two are arguing like an old married couple." Nerwaye laughed.

Sola's left eye twitched at this.

"Oh, the one who should be married speaks. Of all people." Sola said.

"I was just trying to be funny, but it's obvious that you take everything too hard." Nerwaye said, getting serious with Sola.

"Coming from you. If anybody takes anything too hard, it's you. And I mean both ways." Sola said.

"You don't understand! What I went through…" Nerwaye tried to say.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I've heard the story a thousand times already! And I've been in a similar position to you, but it is obvious that how I coped with the situation was better. Maybe you could…" Sola started to say.

"Ladies, please, calm down." Aedric Fury said, trying to stop the fight brewing in his tent.

"Hey!" The two sisters yelled at Aedric Fury, nearly in unison.

"This is my sister, if I want to have a conversation with her, I can." Sola said.

"Yeah, I don't want you butting in on our business." Nerwaye said.

"You two...you two are something else. Come on, break it up. I think it's obvious that you two need some time apart." Luxen said.

"Oh, the Daedra worshiper starts to speak. Great. Come, preach to us about peace." Nerwaye said.

"Hey! That's Meridia! I worship her too!" Sola said, the argument reinvigorated.

"Auri-el's Bow, why do I even speak?" Nerwaye asked.

"I don't know. It'd be a lot better if you just shut up." Sola said.

Aedric Fury's fury had been building up. All of this commotion was reaching his breaking point; he did not want all of this fighting in his home. His home was a place far away from the battlefields of Cyrodiil, where all the fighting took place. His home was to be that escape from fighting, and these two guests had brought strife with them.

"Quiet!" Aedric Fury yelled with a roar.

The two sisters stopped uneasily, and gave one another dirty looks.

"You are not here to fight! You two are sisters, and you should act like it!" Aedric Fury said.

"In our defense, we're always like this." Nerwaye said.

"No back talking!" Aedric Fury said.

"Right." Nerwaye said sarcastically.

"Now, we have important business at hand. I am fine going to Akavir if it will both get you two to stop bickering and if it helps to save Alinor." Aedric Fury said.

"I must agree to that." Luxen said.

"Maybe when you two get back, you can have a few drinks together." Luxen said.

"No. I can't do that, I have to feed my child." Nerwaye said.

"That didn't stop you earlier." Sola said.

"Shh. They don't need to know that." Nerwaye said.

"Oh." Sola said.

"Wait...what?" Luxen asked in confusion.

"Let's go back. Come on." Sola said, opening a portal that was as black as night.

"That's definitely Daedric." Luxen said.

"That didn't stop you earlier." Sola said.

"What...damn it." Luxen said, leaning over.

"Another rite broken." Luxen added.

"Oh, come on. Like those even matter." Sola said.

"Another? What was your first one broken? Celibacy?" Nerwaye giggled.

"Hey! Cyrodiil was very stressful for me." Luxen said.

"I'm not saying it wasn't. I understand perfectly. But…" Nerwaye said.

Sola was also smiling now.

"It's just men. You can take the bottle away from a man forever and he's sober for the rest of his life. But you take a woman away from a man and he finds himself in more trouble." Sola said.

"As I said, I understand perfectly." Nerwaye said.

Nerwaye walked over to Luxen and lightly tapped him on the shoulder before walking back away next to Sola. During this time, Luxen was nervous and afraid. The whole time he was wondering why Nerwaye was getting so close to him. But thankfully it was just a friendly and playful gesture and nothing more.

"I...I think when we get back I need to check that baby. See if Daedric portals have messed with his mind as much as ours." Luxen said.

"I would never do anything to put my little nephew in danger." Sola said.

"Anyways, come on, we aren't getting any further to my camp." Sola said.

They arrived back in the camp in Akavir. Nerwaye quickly went and checked on Urcelmo and fed and cleaned him. Vyrkyl was there to stare coldly into the souls of Luxen and Aedric Fury as they walked by. Luxen felt his cold eyes stare deep into his soul. Aedric Fury just ignored Vyrkyl's piercing stare. Luxen went to follow through on his promise to check on little Urcelmo. He was not actually worried about Sola's magic affecting him negatively, but he did want to see Nerwaye's little baby.

"Here he is, my baby Urcelmo." Nerwaye said, carrying Urcelmo.

"That's a...unique name." Luxen said.

"It's not weird...it's not that weird...it's only weird because he's not grown up." Nerwaye said.

"Right." Luxen said.

"You know, that's exactly how Sola reacted." Nerwaye said.

"What's with all of this sudden comparison between me and you two?" Luxen asked.

"What's with you wanting to see my child?" Nerwaye asked.

"Because I like children. I can't have any of my own because of my rites, and I've always wanted some. But at the monastery, children would visit and I would give them some candy that Aedric Fury made. So I was natural with children." Luxen answered.

"Damn it. I need to find Sola a husband and apparently you aren't up for the task." Nerwaye said.

"Usually Altmer marry other Altmer to preserve strong bloodlines." Luxen said.

"Trust me, our bloodline is plenty strong. And, between you and me, Sola has a thing for men." Nerwaye said.

"I really don't need to know that." Luxen said.

"There aren't any other women for me to tell." Nerwaye said.

"Oh, and then Oldon. I was hoping for the two of them for the longest time. It was so romantic when Oldon chased after her when she ran away. But as it turns out, Sola's a cold stone and she rejects everyone. Too bad." Nerwaye said.

"Look, I appreciate the laundry time gossip, but I really don't need to hear that." Luxen said.

"What? Is it against a rite?" Nerwaye mocked.

"Yes, it is." Luxen answered.

"Well, you break one, you break them all." Nerwaye said.

"Good talk." Nerwaye added, taking Urcelmo back and opening the tent door.

Sola went to go check on the new camper in the camp. Aedric Fury had packed his tent along with plenty of his things. He had a neat little site set up for him next to Luxen's tent. Sola went to go see what was going on.

"Hey." Sola said, poking her head in.

"Welcome." Aedric Fury said.

"I was just wondering how much you eat. I need to get started on dinner." Sola said.

"My lady, there is no need. I am a skilled cook and I will take care of it for you, as it is my duty and my pleasure.

"Oh, thank the Eight." Sola said, leaving.

A few minutes later, Sola came back, lugging in a chest.

"Here's all of the cooking stuff I have. Use it." Sola said.

There was a brief silence.

"So, why are you called Aedric Fury?" Sola asked.

"That is quite the story. Well, that requires some background of my Order. Sanctius and I are both part of the Order of Merid-Nunda. We believe that Meridia, the Daedric Prince, as you know her, was wrongly ejected from the Aedra, and she is, in fact, still among them. As such, we consider her Aedra instead of Daedra. When I was adopted by the Order as a child, they gave me a new name. They said that they could feel the Planemeld approaching, and that when Molag Bal released his armies upon Tamriel, there would be one man who would bring the fury of Merid-Nunda, the fury of the Aedra, upon him. They said that it was destined to be me. I am not saying that I am that person, but from then on, I was known as Aedric Fury." Aedric Fury answered.

"That is certainly unique." Sola said.

"Let me be clear that I do not think that I am going to singlehandedly going to end the Planemeld." Aedric Fury added.

"That'd be preposterous." Sola said.

"Anyways, thanks for the story, I think I have to go do something." Sola said, quickly slipping out of the tent.

"Anytime, my lady." Aedric Fury said.

"Okay, look, I really don't like the chivalrous names. I'm not nobility, just please call me Sola." Sola said, sticking her head back in.

The day turned into night. When it became night, they all ate the food that Aedric Fury had made. He had made mushrooms stuffed with all manner of meat, vegetables, and spices. They were amazing, and Sola felt lucky that she did not have to curse her battle mates with poor food. For once, Sola felt released from the burden of taking on everything. The night turned into the morning, and with this new day came a new adventure. Luxen had another ally to turn to, but first, they all had to start the day off bright and full. Sola was the only one who had gotten up early, so she had made breakfast. A bright breakfast with painstakingly made sweet rolls, fried eggs, and smoked sausages.

Nerwaye crunched on an overcooked sausage, having to open her mouth to prevent the grease from burning her mouth. Luxen distastefully munched on a sweet roll that was overcooked on one side and raw on the other, topped with a frosting that was too thick and too sweet. Aedric Fury seemed thankful for the food, and he was praying over his portion. He then finished and picked up one of the bright fried eggs and threw it into his mouth and ate it. He seemed pleased at first, but after a few seconds, his face grew red and his cheeks swelled. Even Urcelmo started to cry. Nobody even knew where Vyrkyl was while this went on.

"Is everything good?" Sola asked, giving an unsure smile, knowing her food was not good.

"I...um...tried my best." Sola added, trying to make everything taste better, still smiling.

"Hey, so I have some...grape juice in...in my tent. Why don't I grab it?" Sola said, getting up to grab some grape juice, hoping it would make her friends feel better about eating.

"How's everything?" Nerwaye asked.

"Give me the truth." Nerwaye continued.

"I really think she put a lot of effort in it, but it's bad." Luxen answered.

"Horrible." Aedric Fury answered.

"I know. Did you see her face though? She knew it was bad, and she was hoping that her bright green eyes and little smile would distract you. She was even rubbing her little hands together, and had her head tilted, and her hair running over an eye. That's how embarrassed she was. Notice how she's speaking very softly." Nerwaye said.

"You better say thank you and ask for more." Nerwaye said, very seriously.

"I'm really not sure if I have it in me. My egg was burned on one side and raw on the other. The yolk slipped into my throat." Aedric Fury explained.

"You better thank her. She got up early for this." Nerwaye said, leaning in.

Sola came back, her same awkward smile on. She had a bag full of grape juice with her. She prefered the sweetness of grape juice over wine, and it was also there to stop her from drinking wine. So, she passed around the grape juice, which, thankfully, was perfectly acceptable in quality. Still Sola stood there with her hands rubbing against one another and that ever-so-awkward smile. Everyone passed around the grape juice and drank it.

"Sola, thank you very much for the breakfast. Is there anything else?" Nerwaye asked.

"Oh! You're welcome." Sola said in shock, her eyes brightening.

"Say it." Nerwaye whispered to Luxen under her breath.

"Yeah, thanks. It was...good." Luxen said.

"Aye, young lady. It was very good. However...I must...relieve...myself." Aedric Fury said, starting to gag and then running off.

"Ask for more." Nerwaye told Luxen silently.

"Can I get some more?" Luxen asked, internally flinching.

Sola's face had grown to be a bright pink and she stood silently. She was in shock that people were actually asking for more of her food. She silently forced herself over to the pan of sweet rolls, where she dished out another two to her fellow soldiers. Sola then sat down on her mat.

"Thank you." Nerwaye said.

"When are we leaving?" Sola asked, in a trance-like state.

"Whenever." Luxen said.

"I'm ready." Sola said, getting up and going back into her tent.

"What's up with that?" Luxen asked Nerwaye.

"By the Eight, that was the most embarrassed I have seen her ever. That's one of the reasons why I love her." Nerwaye said.

"I'm back." Aedric Fury said, coming out from the river.

"Right, you two discuss on where we are going, while I talk to Sola." Nerwaye said.

Nerwaye walked into Sola's tent. Sola was finishing putting on her gauntlets and epaulets and she had grabbed a hat to put on just in case. Her face had grown notably less pink, but she was still embarrassed.

"Hey." Sola said.

"Your food wasn't good." Nerwaye said.

"I know." Sola said.

"Good effort though." Nerwaye added.

"Thanks." Sola said.

"Quit speaking all softly. Now of all times you stop with your incessant speech." Nerwaye said.

Sola smiled at Nerwaye.

"Come on, we're leaving, I hope." Nerwaye said, leaving after grabbing a staff and sword.

"On my way." Sola said normally, leaving.

Everyone was gathered by the fire, including Vyrkyl. There, they were going to listen to Luxen and Aedric Fury decide on where to go find another ally to go and rescue Oldon. Two more seemed to be a good number, and Luxen was double-checking his information to ensure that everyone that he remembered was still alive.

"Right, so, I was thinking Clivia. Do you remember where she went?" Luxen asked Aedric Fury.

"Aetherius. Dominion troops got to her." Aedric Fury answered.

"Okay, then what about Almalexia?" Luxen asked.

"I sure hope you don't mean that false god." Sola said.

"No, it was a Dunmer lass in the Order. We called her that for fun." Luxen answered.

"No. Don't remember what happened with her." Aedric Fury said.

Everything was silent for a few minutes.

"I thought that more of us would still be alive." Luxen said.

"Okay, I know some people who can find others to help us. The people who trained me in Akaviri martial arts used to operate out of Cyrodiil before the War. I think I know where they went." Aedric Fury said.

"Stonefalls?" Sola asked.

"Vvardenfell?" Nerwaye asked.

"Shadowfen?" Luxen asked.

"No." Aedric Fury answered.

"Falkreath." Vyrkyl said, knowing immediately.

"What? How did you know?" Aedric Fury asked.

"I am much more powerful than you care to know." Vyrkyl answered.

"Anyways, who is going?" Sola asked.

"I am." Luxen answered.

"So am I." Sola said.

"Aedric Fury, you up?" Sola asked.

"Sorry, I am going to get started on dinner." Aedric Fury answered.

"Well, I promised Nerwaye time with her baby." Sola said.

"I am going." Vyrkyl said.

"Good." Sola said.

"Right. I know that the family moved to Falkreath after the War started, but other than that I'm not sure." Aedric Fury said.

"No matter. I can smell them out." Vyrkyl said.

"Then no point in waiting." Sola said.

Sola opened the portal to Falkreath. They were all outside the cold forests outside the city. The smell of moss and pine filled the air. Vyrkyl seemed to start out moving ahead of Sola and Luxen, as if driven by something. Sola knew that there was something not entirely normal about this. After all, for once in his servitude, Vyrkyl had taken some initiative.

"What is it that you know?" Sola asked Vyrkyl as they all moved through the forest.

"Do not think that you are the only mortal that I have served." Vyrkyl said.

"That's embarrassing for you." Sola said.

"Indeed." Vyrkyl said.

"Who is it that you served?" Luxen asked.

"None of your business, mortal." Vyrkyl said.

"Hey, Vyrkyl, tell me who you served." Sola said.

"Well, I was summoned by some mortal many years ago, and he had me doing his bidding, cutting down countless trees to provide for his business. Little did he remember that as a mage, I was only bound to not kill him and do his work. The axeman who he had me working for had no such command over me. I cut him limb from limb." Vyrkyl answered.

"That's a good story." Sola said.

"What's with this? I can't ask a question and get a good answer?!" Luxen asked.

"Nope. Unless you want to bind Vyrkyl, which will involve going through me, then having to kill him several times before he actually accepts his new ruler. That, of course, probably breaks one of your rites which you seem to care so much about." Sola answered.

"This is the last place I want to be: Skyrim, with all of these pompous Nords." Luxen said.

"Well, you're really a step up, aren't you? Instead of with conceited men, you're with conceited mer." Sola said.

"If you think mer are bad, let me tell you that Kyn are much worse." Vyrkyl said.

"Now, come on, we're almost at Falkreath. The people are not going to like me much, so I need you two to do the asking around." Vyrkyl said.

"Nah. I'm good. If I'm going anywhere around a bunch of Nords, one of two things is happening, either racist comments on both sides, or a bunch of Nords trying to flirt with me." Sola said.

"I mean, if they go attack you, that just means less Pact soldiers later on, and less work for us later. Not a bad deal at all." Sola said.

"You make a good point…" Vyrkyl said.

"Right, just walk into a Nord village and actually hope that they attack us so you can kill them." Luxen said.

"Don't you think life is worth more than that?" Luxen asked.

Vyrkyl laughed.

"Not mortal life." Vyrkyl answered.

"Come on, how many more men are out there? Plenty. And honestly, they have so many children…" Sola started to say.

"You're getting off topic." Luxen said.

"By the Eight, I don't care about them if they don't care about me. It's mutual." Sola said.

They walked into Falkreath, with all of the local Nords and Imperials staring at them. Luxen looked relatively normal, although he looked excessively prepared for war. Sola, thankfully, resembled a Breton enough at a distance to avoid too much conflict, after all, Reachmen were a commonplace in Skyrim. However, Vyrkyl stood out. As he walked around in his heavy armor, clanking and leaving prints in the hard dirt, the Nords ducked out of his way, Sola nearly skipping along behind, with Luxen carefully moving around, guarding the flank. Vyrkyl moved with purpose, as if he knew exactly where to go. He went into the house of the Jarl, walking in without invitation.

Vyrkyl, Sola, and Luxen all walked into the house, the Jarl sitting on his throne. Vyrkyl walked right up to the Jarl before he decided to speak.

"Tell me where the Akaviri are." Vyrkyl said.

"Back, Daedra!" The Jarl screamed.

"Hey, we're not looking for Akaviri. We're looking for some Dunmer who are trained in Akaviri martial arts." Sola reminded Vyrkyl.

"...What?" Vyrkyl asked.

"...Wait, are you serious?" Sola asked, the silence permeating.

"Right...I know where those people are." Vyrkyl said.

"Just let me take care of some business." Vyrkyl said, taking out his greatsword and aiming it right for the Jarl's head.

Luxen intervened, pulling back on Vyrkyl before he swung.

"Let's not." Luxen said.

"You are so anti-fun." Vyrkyl said, allowing the interruption.

They ventured out back into the dirt paths of Falkreath. Still, the residents gave them looks, but now for the group, it was back to square one.

"So, any ideas on what to do?" Sola asked after they had sat down in a tavern.

"Nope. I figured that you were actually looking for Akaviri." Vyrkyl answered.

"Well, we still need people." Sola continued.

"You know, I never said that these people weren't in Falkreath." Luxen said.

"Hm? Were you looking for someone?" The Nord barkeep asked.

"Yeah, a Dunmer family who train others in Akaviri arts." Sola answered.

"Never heard of them." The barkeep said.

"So I thought." Sola said.

"Well, we're not finding anything here. We should go." Sola told Luxen.

"Right." Luxen said, getting up.

The three made their way to the door, the patrons careful to avoid walking in the way of these strangers among them. Luxen went to the door to chivalrously open the door for Sola, and when he approached the door closely, and stuck his right arm out to open it, the door flew open. It slammed right into Luxen, who recoiled back dramatically, and backed into a table with three Nords sharing mead, and the mead fell onto the floor with the table.

Emerging out of the door was a tall, thin, well-formed female Dunmer. She had bright, piercing red eyes, a curved face with ample cheeks, long black hair, and a smile that indicated conceit. Her ample body, covered in tattoos, provided force open the door with gusto and pride. And when it opened, it hit the Imperial right in the head, and he fell back onto a table. Staring right at her, equally as shocked as the Imperial was a strange-looking Altmer. She had brown hair, large green eyes, and a smaller head than most mer. She let out a surprised breath when the door opened quickly. Right now, the Dunmer could tell that she would not like this Altmer. They were too different.

"Excuse me." Sola said, Luxen just having crashed into the table.

"Out of the way." The Dunmer said, pushing Sola a bit to the side.

Vyrkyl reacted. Nobody would dare lay a hand on his master without her permission. Vyrkyl reached over his armor-coated arm and put his massive hand on the Dunmer lass' cheeks and jaw. Vyrkyl simply shook his head.

"Let go of her, you monster!" A Dunmer yelled, riling up the patrons.

There was outcry among the drunk Nords, and they grabbed their daggers, flagons, and swords and axes, and they started to yell when Vyrkyl kept the Dunmer in his hand just out of spite. Several circled around Vyrkyl, while Luxen quickly recovered himself from his fall and readied an Aedric Spear. Sola flung out her staff, ready for a spell.

"You want to attack? Do it!" Vyrkyl challenged, grabbing his greatsword and slamming it down into the ground, shaking the ground.

"Okay, let's all calm down. This is all a mistake. We can talk this out like civilized beings." Luxen said.

"Both of you are nothing but trouble! Take this outside!" The barkeep said.

The aggressive crowd of bar patrons pushed Vyrkyl and the Dunmer outside into a dirt ring very close to the tavern. Sola and Luxen followed behind the crowd, and when it fully formed, Sola found herself being pushed to the front, by Vyrkyl.

"I want a clean fight. No weapons, no magic." A Nord said, setting up the fight.

"Take your bets." Another Nord cried, lifting up a part of her dress to collect bets in.

"Let's see who wins in this fight over touching this large Breton lady." The Nord fightmaster said.

"By Azura, I'm an Altmer, you hollowhead." Sola said.

"Any more bets?" The betting lady asked.

"Mead! Get your mead!" The barkeep from the bar yelled, rolling out a keg of mead with a few tankards.

Just like this, a simple matter of Vyrkyl defending Sola from a possible attack had reduced the whole situation into a massive fighting ring. Nords and Dunmer alike were cheering. The barkeep was making plenty of money selling his mead, and the lady collecting bets was sure to make some gold too. The Dunmer lass was preparing to fight, as if this was something normal. Vyrkyl had no need to prepare; he was ready. The Nord fightmaster put the two opponents close to one another, and had their fists touching.

"Fight until someone wins." The fightmaster said, running out of the fighting area and into the crowd.

The fight started. Vyrkyl started off with a massive punch. Being heavily armored against the lightly armored Dunmer lady, Vyrkyl was at a significant advantage. Vyrkyl slammed his fist right into the gut of the Dunmer, who quickly coiled over, barely able to keep her footing, but her face was angry now. The adrenaline pumped through her body. She took the hit and tried to punch back. Vyrkyl grabbed her by the arm and swung her over his head and back onto the floor. He followed up with a brutal kick to her chest, an audible crack being heard. Vyrkyl then readied his knee to slam down on the Dunmer, but she rolled out of the way at the last second, saving her chest from more damage. She readied herself again, and charged, trying to tackle Vyrkyl. But she failed to run fast enough, and she vainly tried to push Vyrkyl. Vyrkyl waited for a few seconds before grabbing hold of her and pushing her back, then using his sharply armored forearm and slashing it against her face. The Dunmer lady felt the sharp armor cut her face. She lifted a small hand up to her cheek, and felt the blood, and saw it. She grew even more angry. Her beautiful face had been injured. She did not want to abide by the rules anymore.

She let go a breath of fire. She let go a gauntlet of fire onto Vyrkyl. Vyrkyl walked right through it with little effort and grabbed hold of the Dunmer's throat, preparing to finish what he started.

"Feel your last breaths, mortal." Vyrkyl said, smiling on the inside of his helmet.

"Okay, this is getting too violent!" Luxen said, pushing his way through the crowd.

"This is slaughter." Luxen added.

"I agree. I call an end to this fight, the winner being the armored Altmer!" The fightmaster said.

"I am a Kyn, you mortal!" Vyrkyl said, throwing the Dunmer onto the ground.

"As a reward, we give you a quarter of the money bet on." The fightmaster said, giving the money to Vyrkyl.

"I do not need your charity." Vyrkyl said, throwing the gold back at the fightmaster, violently.

Luxen rushed over to the Dunmer girl on the ground. She was not in good shape. She was coughing up blood and she needed medical attention. Vyrkyl had given her a massive thrashing, and she was not stable. Luxen tried his best with magic, but he little magicka he had in his blood did not react. He looked around for Sola.

Sola was amazed at was going on: a massive fight because someone had pushed her. It was nice that Vyrkyl had protected her from any unwanted contact, but this was quite a bit more than protection. And seeing the beatdown that Vyrkyl was giving out, it was probably best that Sola slipped out and grabbed a drink while she waited for the inevitable. She thought about stepping in and stopping the fight, but she did not want to possibly be jumped by thirty Nords. So, Sola went over to the barkeep and grabbed a mug of mead and drank it while watching the fight. After it was over, she saw Luxen try and help the beaten Dunmer lady. Sola figured that is that woman was going to go around being so haughty, she needs to be responsible for herself. Sola thought about the self-reflection before she heard Luxen call on her.

"Sola, can you help me with her?" Luxen asked, Sola taking a great gulp of mead.

"Fine. Fine." Sola said, going over to Luxen.

"Ooh. That looks painful. But she still has most of her blood and limbs. I think she'll be fine." Sola said, grabbing her restoration staff.

"Oh, and girl, don't go around messing with people you don't know." Sola taunted.

Sola laid the soul gem of her staff against the chest of the Dunmer lady, and channeled healing energies. Restoration magic flowed throughout the blood of the Dunmer. It slowly mended her, but until then, she would be in great pain.

"Come on, hurry." Luxen told Sola.

"I'm doing a quality job. If you don't use the magic correctly, something will heal wrong." Sola explained.

"She's in pain." Luxen said.

"Look, if you're so concerned, give her a potion. There's one in my pack." Sola said.

Luxen opened Sola's backpack and rummaged around through it before finding the potion at the bottom. He went over to the Dunmer, uncorked the glass bottle and fed it to the Dunmer lady, who was having trouble swallowing the potion.

"Well, that and magic will do the trick." Sola said, standing up.

The Dunmer lady mumbled something.

"Damn, she's just a kid. Younger than me." Sola said.

"That Daedra of yours nearly killed her." Luxen said.

"I don't tell him how to do everything." Sola added.

"I...I...don't like you." The Dunmer girl said, struggling.

"I just saved your life. You ungrateful little bitch." Sola started to say.

"Oh, come on, she's dying." Luxen said.

"She's still ungrateful." Sola said, taking out her sword.

"I can end you right now if you don't like me." Sola said, her sword pressed against the Dunmer's throat.

"Do it." The Dunmer lady said.

Sola laughed.

"You made a poor decision in fighting me." Vyrkyl said, walking over.

"Now, get up. You're fine." Sola said, pulling up the Dunmer.

"So, where did you come from? You're not from around here. And by that I mean the Pact." The Dunmer asked.

"I come from where we eat people like you for breakfast." Vyrkyl answered.

"And Coldharbour." Vyrkyl added.

"You...you're an actual Dremora? No wonder why I got pounded into a pulp." The Dunmer said.

"Warden Vyrkyl...wait. I feel as if I have seen you before." Vyrkyl said.

"Hm? I don't know. I've seen too many Dremora in my life." The Dunmer said.

"I'm Sanctius Luxen, why don't you tell me your name?" Luxen asked the Dunmer.

"I'm Lunaria Chimeri." Lunaria answered.

"That's...unique." Sola said.

"Hey, Lunaria, you really got your ass handed to you on that one!" A Dunmer male cried out to Lunaria.

"I will tear your throat out!" Vyrkyl yelled.

"What was that for?" Lunaria asked.

"Allies back one another up." Vyrkyl said.

"What do you mean by that?" Luxen asked.

"She was a Worm Cultist. I remember now. Saw her drag a few people in and out of Coldharbour and into my prison." Vyrkyl said.

"Great." Luxen said.

"That part of my life is behind me. I left that after I was betrayed." Lunaria said.

"You're a young girl. How old are you?" Luxen asked.

"Eighteen." Lunaria answered.

"By the Eight, you really fell off the tree early." Sola said.

"Shut up." Lunaria said.

Sola's face grew red with anger.

"Calm down." Luxen told Sola, giving her a quick pat on the back.

"I need to join the Pact military. You should get me in." Lunaria said.

"We're not actually Pact...people." Sola said.

"What are you? Worm Cult? Here to ensure my demise? That explains the Dremora." Lunaria asked.

"We're Dominion." Sola answered.

"Almalexia's mercy…" Lunaria said.

"Well, I actually am just here because of servitude. I don't care about any of you." Vyrkyl said.

"What are you doing here? There's no point in me even trying to attack; I'll just get killed." Lunaria asked.

"Looking for people. Alinor is currently under attack by Daedric forces. We need help." Luxen answered.

"What part of Nirn isn't under attack? Don't worry, I do my part in attacking Daedra." Lunaria said.

"I don't know if you'd know where one is, but we're looking for a family that teaches Akaviri martial arts." Luxen said.

"I know them. I don't know who teaches them, but on Vvardenfell, there was a defector who taught me." Lunaria said.

"Okay, then you don't know." Luxen said.

"You know, if you're looking for help, just ask. I'll forget the fact that you nearly killed me." Lunaria said.

"Great. Want to help?" Luxen asked.

"You got food, water, and shelter?" Lunaria asked.

"Of course." Luxen answered.

"I'm in." Lunaria said.

"Not so fast. Luxen, let's talk. In private." Sola said, leading Luxen a few feet away.

"What's going on here?" Sola asked Luxen.

"Lunaria's going to join us." Luxen answered.

"No. I don't want her around Nerwaye and I. She's volatile." Sola said.

"As if you and your sister aren't." Luxen said.

"Look, we don't want help, we need it." Luxen added.

"It's my camp we're operating out of." Sola said.

"And it's Alinor that we're saving. And it's your friend we're rescuing." Luxen said.

"At this point, our hands are tied. We need help." Luxen said.

"Damn it. Don't disappoint me." Sola said.

"I won't. Just relax; it'll be fine." Luxen said.

"Okay, fine, I'll trust you on this one." Sola said, walking back to the two others.

"Come on, let's go back." Sola said, starting for the forest.

"Don't worry, I'm ready to kill Daedra." Lunaria said.

"You don't need to take anything?" Luxen asked.

"Everything I own is in this pack. A spare set of clothes and some food." Lunaria said.

"Don't discount my two staves, though." Lunaria added.

"Then come on, back to camp." Sola said.

They ventured out into the forest and found a suitable spot to prepare a portal. Sola opened it and they all went back to the camp in Akavir. There, they were greeted by Aedric Fury and Nerwaye.

"So, this is the new person?" Nerwaye asked.

"We can discuss it later." Sola silently told Nerwaye.

"Sanctius, I was expecting several men. Not just one." Aedric Fury said.

"I'm as good as several." Lunaria said.

Vyrkyl laughed.

"You're very young. Are you aware of what we are fighting?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Daedra. That's all that matters." Lunaria answered.

"Come on, I'm hungry." Lunaria said.

"I prepared dinner. Come, let us eat." Aedric Fury said.

This time, dinner consisted of delicious flatbreads coated with toppings of choice, varying from tomatoes and meats, to vegetables. They were covered with cheese and baked in a makeshift oven. They were good and filling. They all ate, except Vyrkyl, who had run off, with delight. Aedric Fury had made many more than needed by the group, but Lunaria seemed delighted to enjoy three of the rather large flatbreads. Everyone else was amazed with how much she had eaten.

"So, we haven't been introduced. I'm Nerwaye Auroron. I'm Sola's sister." Nerwaye told Lunaria.

"Your sister is a real airhead." Lunaria said.

"Don't be mean to her." Nerwaye said.

"She'll explode your head faster than I can explode yours." Nerwaye warned.

"I mean, just look at her and how hard she tries. Come on, look at her earrings, and how she still has them on. She still has her hair done, and she's constantly touching at it, fixing it. She's trying way too hard." Lunaria said.

"I'm right here." Sola calmly said, although internally holding back anger.

"Don't care. You need to hear it." Lunaria said.

"I mean, what's with the purple? Do you think you're royal or something?" Lunaria jeered.

"You know, it's so nobody sees the blood on my robes." Sola answered.

"Yeah. These tattoos also help with magic." Lunaria said.

"She's serious about the blood." Vyrkyl said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Well, I'm done here." Sola said, getting up.

"Sola, want to go find something to do?" Nerwaye asked, trying to get to talk to her sister.

Urcelmo started to cry.

"Okay, I'm going to feed my baby." Nerwaye said.

"Who's the father? Some massive Altmer? I'd figured that from the other Altmer I see." Lunaria asked.

"You bet his father's tall and strong." Nerwaye said, even though she still had no idea who the father was.

"Really? What's his name?" Lunaria asked, seeing right through the lie.

Nerwaye fell silent.

"That's what I thought." Lunaria said.

"Look, Cyrodiil was a very stressful time for me. What I had seen, and gone through, were terrible things that nobody could go through unchanged." Nerwaye explained rather angrily.

"I wasn't aware of…" Lunaria started to say.

"Enough on this! Understood? Lunaria, if you want to stay around, you have to behave yourself." Sola said, breaking up the building flame.

"Come on, Sola." Nerwaye said, going to the tent.

Nerwaye quickly fed little Urcelmo, and then put him to sleep in Sola's bed. After that, the two sisters went to go take a walk. On these walks, which they had before back home, they could drop all of their infighting and contrast at the door and focus on being sisters and friends. On these walks, they felt closest. They would talk about their problems and vent to one another, holding their words secret to others.

"I don't like her, Nerwaye." Sola said.

"I don't either." Nerwaye said.

"She's a real hothead." Sola added.

"You know, I thought you were volatile, but I guess that you're nice and cool compared to that Dunmer." Nerwaye said.

"Exactly. She's a baby who hasn't experienced the world yet. She thinks that she's entitled to everything, and because of that, she acts on top of the world. I thought Altmer were bad, and she's worse." Sola said.

"You know, that's how you were before you left home." Nerwaye said.

"Yeah, don't remind me. I like knowing that I turned over a new leaf." Sola said.

"You've really matured, and I really like that. I know that I don't agree with you having left home, but I really think that it made you a better person." Nerwaye said.

They continued to walk on. There was a short break in conversation, in this silence they were enjoying the silence of there being no other noises other than their feet stomping in the sand of the beach.

"You know, I really wish that you knew your baby's father." Sola said.

"I know. So do I. I made a big mistake that I won't ever make again. I mean, sometimes when I look at Urcelmo, I know it's only a matter of time before he asks where his father is. I don't know how I'd answer that." Nerwaye said.

"I'd be honest. There's nothing to lie about." Sola said.

"Damn it, Sola, I know you really don't like me because of that. I'm sorry." Nerwaye said.

"I don't want your kid being raised without a father." Sola said.

"I'd have to find someone." Nerwaye said.

"You know who likes kids? Luxen." Sola said, rather jokingly.

"Ah, but he has his 'celibacy' pledge. I'm not going to let him just take care of the baby. Maybe I'd want another." Nerwaye said.

"Um...Nerwaye...don't talk like that again...it's...weird." Sola said.

"Oh, Sola, I really wish that you would find someone. It'd make me feel better about myself." Nerwaye said.

"For a time, I actually wanted to find a man to go and settle down with, or at least mess around with, but I didn't really care enough to pursue anything. Now I really don't care." Sola said.

"If we want to be completely honest, I would have been fine with you and Oldon." Nerwaye said.

"He's sweet, I'll give him that, but too ugly." Sola said.

"Well, we're not all gifted like us." Nerwaye said.

"I know." Sola said.

"So, you going to get your hair to be a normal color yet?" Sola asked after a brief pause.

"Ugh, I need to find some actual dye that won't kill my hair." Nerwaye answered.

"Blonde doesn't suit you." Sola added.

"Don't remind me." Nerwaye said.

The two sisters continued to walk along the beach deep into the night. For a few more hours they walked on before turning back home. They went to go back along the beach, but then they saw Vyrkyl walking around with his greatsword out.

"I hear you, mortal. I smell you, mortal." Vyrkyl told the air.

"You are afraid, and you know that I have been watching you, and hunting you, slowly." Vyrkyl said.

"Vyrkyl, what in Oblivion are you doing out here?" Sola asked, still a bit away.

"Lady Sola, Lady Nerwaye. Good night tonight." Vyrkyl said.

"It's hunting time. And you made me lose my prey." Vyrkyl answered.

"Detect life, Vyrkyl. Find everything alive." Sola said, readying her detect life spell.

"No. That's too easy." Vyrkyl said, suddenly preparing to pounce.

"I hear you, mortal." Vyrkyl said.

Vyrkyl pounced to an area of leaves piled right before the overgrown plains started right off the beach. Vyrkyl reached with his hands out and grabbed something. He shook it around before slamming it onto the ground and pounding his fist into it. Whatever it was, it was invisible. Nerwaye was especially shocked at the occurrence, while Sola appeared only slightly shocked. Sola took out her staff which she had brought with her, and readied a sizeable electric potential on the soul gem.

"Stand back." Sola told Vyrkyl.

Sola discharged her staff, and the high voltage of the shock spell shot over to the invisible being. Briefly, the discharged lightning lit up the figure of the cloaked being. Then, the conductive metal armor quickly discharged the energy into the ground. But the being became uncloaked. Sola recognized him instantly: it was Ward-Scales. That Ebonheart assassin that tried to kill her. Sola quickly cast a Daedric spell that induced stasis.

"Right. I know this thing." Sola said.

Vyrkyl laughed.

"Come. Shall we cook it?" Vyrkyl asked.

"No. Not yet at least." Sola answered.

Vyrkyl said that he would carry Ward-Scales back to camp, but not until he was ready, and Sola figured that her spell would keep the Argonian in stasis for long enough. So, Sola and Nerwaye walked back into their camp and went to go to their tent to set down their things.

Nerwaye walked into the tent first, and witnessed a sight to behold. There Lunaria was. She was cradling Urcelmo in her young arms while nursing him. It was likely that he had either started to cry and was either hungry or just wanted to suckle. Whatever the reason, Nerwaye walked in, and instantly her face grew pale for a second, before it lit up to be pink, then back to the normal color. Nerwaye quickly started to walk over to her baby while Lunaria sat still. Sola had just walked into the tent to see what was happening, and she was surprised.

"What in Oblivion is going on?!" Nerwaye asked, angry.

"He was hungry." Lunaria answered.

"You're young! How on Nirn can you even feed him?!" Nerwaye asked, still yelling.

"Look, there was this really good looking Dunmer and I wasn't going to let him get away from me. I got pregnant and had a child." Lunaria answered.

"You're eighteen, have a child, tattoos all over your body, and are a Worm Cultist. How do you find time to mess yourself up?!" Nerwaye asked.

"And then you go say something to me for not having a child in wedlock." Nerwaye added.

"I never said I didn't make a mistake." Lunaria said.

"Where's your kid now?" Nerwaye asked, her anger building.

"I gave him away. I was sixteen; I couldn't support a kid, and I still can't. Better that I leave him and someone's doorstep than let him starve." Lunaria explained.

"By the Eight!" Nerwaye yelled.

"You know, pregnancy would explain your unusually large breasts." Nerwaye said.

"Helped out some of my form." Lunaria said.

"And didn't you have, I don't know, parents that figure this stuff out?!" Nerwaye asked, the subject having been switched completely.

"What were they going to do? Disown me? Because they sure did!" Lunaria said.

"Back to the subject at hand: what in Oblivion are you doing feeding my child? If I wanted him to get raised on Dunmer milk, I'd have him raised on it. Why? I don't know. Us Altmer have magicka in that stuff, and I don't want your...whatever you have in it, ash probably, going through his body." Nerwaye said.

"Look, I was doing you a favor so you wouldn't have to trouble yourself. But I guess that being a good girl and helping you out with your motherhood isn't good." Lunaria said.

"You raise your kid on whatever comes out of those old bags you call breasts." Lunaria said, running out of the tent, but careful to walk around Sola, who was standing right in front of the opening.

Nerwaye cursed and yelled and screamed for several minutes, getting her anger out. She was angry that someone had intruded on her place as a mother and taken up the mantle of feeding her child. Nerwaye loved feeding her little baby Urcelmo, and despite the fact that he was always hungry, and liked to suckle, she loved being so close to her baby. Not only that, but Nerwaye was convinced that Lunaria had tainted the blood of little Urcelmo, and that his magicka balance might be ruined by the Dunmer milk. Nerwaye had to ensure that magicka was in her baby's blood, to conceal the fact that he could very possibly have mixed heritage. So, Nerwaye kicked Sola's bed, pushed over a few things, and cursed all manner of unspeakable words. All while Urcelmo cried, having been denied his full meal. Sola had picked him up and tried to rock him to sleep, but Urcelmo was still hungry, and he was a bit grabby, and so Sola felt rather uncomfortable, seeing as Urcelmo wanted a meal from Sola, and Sola was watching his mother throw and curse things because of a situation like this. Plus, Sola did not have any milk to give. So Sola settled with setting down little Urcelmo in his crib, only to have him cry from being deprived of the warmth of a bosom. After a few more minutes, Nerwaye finished her outburst, and Urcelmo fell asleep.

"The nerve of some people…" Nerwaye said, finally starting to calm down.

"Nerwaye, you know that she was just trying to help, right?" Sola asked, ensuring Nerwaye had not lost her sanity.

Nerwaye's eyes widened. She just realised how big of scene she had made and how Lunaria would probably not like her at all anymore. Not just that, but she had completely ignored her baby and Sola for a long time, focused on her emotions. Nerwaye tensed up for a few seconds.

"Damn. That was a pretty bad move." Nerwaye said.

Luxen poked his head into the tent.

"Look, I really like everyone here, and I'm more than willing to give up my tent for Lunaria, but I found myself on the ground, and she's in there right now." Luxen said.

"Look, this really isn't a good time." Sola said.

"I'll be back. The emotions are gone, time to be logical about this." Nerwaye said, running off to Luxen's tent, where Lunaria was.

Luxen fully walked into Sola's tent.

"What happened here?" Luxen asked.

"Nerwaye threw a big fit." Sola said.

Urcelmo started to cry again.

"Hey, why don't you get him to go asleep?" Sola asked, grabbing Urcelmo and quickly running him to Luxen's arms.

"I'm good with children, but I don't have the motherly warmness that women have." Luxen said, trying to get Urcelmo the best care.

"Just do it." Sola said, still handing off Urcelmo.

"Why?" Luxen asked.

Sola's green eyes stared back into his for a brief moment of silence.

"Because I said so." Sola said.

"It also pertains to this situation." Sola said, going over to her knocked over things and picking them up.

Meanwhile, Nerwaye had quickly walked into Luxen's tent, with Lunaria sitting on the bedroll there, peacefully. She was expecting something. The instant Nerwaye walked in, Lunaria's ruby red eyes met Nerwaye's soft green eyes. Nerwaye was going to be honest and avoid excuses. She knew little about Lunaria, but even she could tell that she did not like putting up with lies and excuses.

"Look who it is." Lunaria said.

"Look, I'm sorry." Nerwaye said.

"The Altmer is here apologizing to me? How strange." Lunaria said.

"I'm not going to excuse what I said and did. I was being very protective, and in that I insulted you. I am sorry for that." Nerwaye said from her heart.

"You're skipping out on me. Speak your mind." Lunaria said.

"Also, if you could please never nurse my baby." Nerwaye said.

"Will you forgive me?" Nerwaye asked.

"I am genuinely surprised." Lunaria said after a second.

"You didn't give me a lukewarm apology, and you were honest and spoke your mind." Lunaria added.

"I'm not going to hold a grudge over honesty." Lunaria said.

Nerwaye let out a sigh of relief.

"Er...yeah, sorry for some of the things I said. But you do look pretty old." Lunaria said.

"I know. I am old. Magic isn't always good." Nerwaye said.

"How far apart are you and Sola?" Lunaria asked.

"Six years; not too much. But currently, I'm probably a century older than her, in terms of my body." Nerwaye answered.

"That's weird. Tell me the story." Lunaria said.

"I can. But on one condition: don't hold it against Sola. She feels sorry about it and she's put in a lot of effort to fix her mistake." Nerwaye said.

"Sounds good." Lunaria said.

Sola had been picking up Nerwaye's mess. Luxen still stood there holding Urcelmo, who was trying to be playful, fruitlessly trying to grab Luxen's face. Sola saw this and she smiled brightly and continued with her cleaning. Then, the brightness faded away. Sola pictured Urcelmo's face, then Luxen's. They looked a little bit similar. For the first few seconds, Sola tried to brush it off as nothing, but the thought kept on creeping into her mind; Sola just hoped it was just a coincidence.

"Hey, Sanctius, did you ever notice how much you and Urcelmo look alike?" Sola asked, no longer cheerful.

"That's weird." Luxen said, laughing lightly.

"Let me see." Luxen added.

Sola knelt down and picked up a mirror that Nerwaye had tossed onto the ground. Luxen stared into the fine silver plated mirror, and looked at himself. He then brought Urcelmo to it, who looked at himself. There was some resemblance, but Urcelmo still looked Altmer. Luxen thought nothing of the similarity, dismissing it as coincidence. He even laughed lightly at the similarity. Sola silently put the mirror in its place. Then, Luxen let the images run through his head again, and each successive second the similarity because less and less a coincidence.

"Sola, what are you saying?" Luxen asked seriously, putting Urcelmo in his crib.

"Look, you said you broke a celibacy pledge...don't tell me it was with Nerwaye." Sola said in all seriousness.

"There'd be no way. I'd remember her. There's no way." Luxen said.

"You two were probably drunk out of your minds." Sola said quietly.

"Sola, I really don't remember anything." Luxen said.

"It didn't happen." Luxen added.

There was a moment of tenuous awkward silence.

"Damn it. Who am I kidding? The kid looks like me." Luxen said.

"Sola, I'm really sorry, but...I think that's my child." Luxen said.

"Um...that means...with my sister…" Sola said, stepping back away from Luxen.

"No. No! This isn't good. I make one mistake and it will seriously follow me for the rest of my life." Luxen said.

"We don't know for sure, do we? That's my saving grace. Let's just pretend this never happened." Luxen said.

"It happened. There's no changing it." Sola said.

"But we can't let Nerwaye know yet. She's not in a good mood and I don't want my tent burned." Sola said.

"Let me handle this." Sola added.

"You know, I thought I'd be happier knowing I'm a father." Luxen said.

Vyrkyl walked into the tent, breaking the moment, which was for the best. He walked in with Ward-Scales still under his right arm. Ward-Scales was awake, and he had stopped struggling at this point, but he was fully conscious.

"I'm back." Vyrkyl said.

"What? Did you see a ghost?" Ward-Scales asked, being ignored.

"Vyrkyl, this doesn't leave this room, but Luxen and Nerwaye…" Sola said, trying to leave it open-ended.

"I could have told you that the instant I saw the baby. Looks too much like the Imperial. Also looks a bit like you, Lady Sola." Vyrkyl said.

"I'm hungry. I need food." Ward-Scales said.

"Come on, we need everyone out here." Vyrkyl said.

After a few minutes, everyone poured out of their tents to around the fire. Vyrkyl had set down Ward-Scales, but he was still firmly anchored down by Vyrkyl's massive grip. Everyone looked tired, and they had no idea why they were all gathered here.

"I have captured my quarry. Now, we must decide what to do with it." Vyrkyl said.

"I know this thing. He's an assassin. I say kill him." Sola said.

"I don't care. Just get rid of him." Nerwaye said.

"Ew. An Argonian. Gross! Burn him." Lunaria said.

"I must agree with fair Lady Nerwaye and I think we should set this Argonian free, back from whence he came." Aedric Fury said.

"I, personally, can't wait to flay him alive." Vyrkyl said.

"Come on, let's not be so wasteful." Luxen said.

"Right. I would get more enjoyment if I broke every bone in his body first." Vyrkyl said.

"Not like that you Daedric beast." Luxen said.

"What I am saying is that we have someone right in front of us who has the potential to help us. I will be honest, as it turns out, most of the people from my Order are dying, dead, or in hiding. There's nobody else to find." Luxen continued.

"Argonian, what is your name?" Luxen asked.

"Ward-Scales." Ward-Scales answered.

"Ward-Scales, do you hate the Daedra?" Luxen asked.

"I wouldn't say I hate them as much as I would say I fight them." Ward-Scales answered.

"Okay, do you like Molag Bal?" Luxen asked.

"Nope. But I don't like Dunmer even more. And there's one of those here." Ward-Scales answered.

"The feeling's mutual." Lunaria said.

"Maybe I'm going at this the wrong way." Luxen said.

"Do you think that the Daedric invasion of Tamriel is more dangerous than the Three Banners War?" Luxen asked.

"Was that even up for debate? Of course it is not. If the three alliances united, the Daedra could easily be pushed back into Coldharbour." Ward-Scales answered.

"The problem with that is that there is no unity, and Coldharbour has a chance to win." Luxen said.

"I do my part. If you have a plan to take down Molag Bal right now, count me in." Ward-Scales said.

"I will be honest with you. It's not about Molag Bal. There was a recent insurgence of Daedra in Alinor. They're running rampant and we need help." Luxen said.

"This is much different. Why should I help any of you? It seems as if the only Pact blood here is a Dunmer." Ward-Scales asked.

"If you don't want to help, then don't. I'll ensure that you are returned to home safely." Luxen said.

"I have zero reason for helping you, but I will." Ward-Scales said mysteriously.

"Good. Welcome aboard. Everyone, introduce yourselves." Luxen said.

"I'm Sanctius Luxen." Sanctius said.

"Sola Auroron, we have met." Sola said.

"Nerwaye. I'm her sister." Nerwaye said.

"Aedric Fury." Aedric Fury said.

"Lunaria Chimeri. Play it safe, Argonian." Lunaria said.

"Warden Vyrkyl." Vyrkyl said.

"Okay, so how long until you think we have until we leave? Oldon's waiting." Sola asked Luxen.

"What do you think we need?" Luxen asked.

"We definitely need food and drink. I think we all have weapons handled." Luxen answered.

"We'll need more than that. Molag Bal's general in charge of the counterattack was preparing for a sustained fight. We need much more. I am thinking tents, spare clothes, bedrolls, blankets." Vyrkyl said.

"We also need to bring Oldon armor and weapons. I think we should all carry some of that." Sola said.

"What's the soonest that we can get everything done by?" Nerwaye asked.

"We can take the tents we have here, and I have spare bedrolls. That's no problem." Sola said.

"Food is no issue. Sola has the provisions, and I just need to cook; I can get it done in a day." Aedric Fury said.

"I have some spare swords for Oldon, but I don't have any extra armor for him. I know about how tall and wide he is, and have extra leather, but making armor takes time. On my own, it'll take a few days." Sola added.

"By yourself. I'm no armorer, but I've sewn my own clothes. Let me help." Lunaria said.

"I've mended a few shirts and pants before." Luxen added.

"Vyrkyl, can you help?" Sola asked.

Vyrkyl remained silent for a second.

"Only because you asked." Vyrkyl answered.

"You are all the best." Sola said with a smile.

"Well, then let's all get a good night of sleep and get to work tomorrow." Aedric Fury said.

Everyone parted their separate ways to sleep. Aedric Fury agreed to house Ward-Scales in his tent. Luxen, uncomfortably at it, agreed to let Lunaria sleep in his tent, even though he was careful to keep an eye out for any tricks she might want to pull. And he especially wanted to be careful since he knew that Nerwaye would probably start to keep her eyes open. Sola and Nerwaye, of course, stayed in the same tent with little Urcelmo. And then nobody knew what Vyrkyl did, although he claimed that he would be around the fire all night, keeping watch.

"Some day today." Sola said, tired from the busy day.

"I know." Nerwaye said.

"Isn't it weird that that Argonian had been watching us?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yeah, it was." Sola said, that thought popping into her head.

"Hey, Nerwaye, I have something important I need to talk to you about. Can you put down the baby?" Sola asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Nerwaye asked, setting Urcelmo into his little crib.

Sola took a deep breath, and Nerwaye only grew more suspicious and worrisome over what might be said.

"Okay, so I think I found Urcelmo's father." Sola said, rather nervously.

Nerwaye laughed.

"That's funny. I don't think we're ever finding him." Nerwaye said.

"Um…" Sola said, her face growing pink.

"Sola, what is it?...Oh no, don't tell me it was him." Nerwaye said, talking about Luxen.

"Look at Urcelmo." Sola said.

Nerwaye walked over to the crib and looked at her sleeping child. The similarity was there. It was now undoubtable. Nerwaye looked there in shock for several second before saying anything. She was so surprised at how she now knew who the father of her child was. Nerwaye felt a surge of power after her worry was lifted off of her. A whole load of stress was taken off of her, and she felt notably lighter. For a brief second, she even smiled.

"By Mara…" Nerwaye said, speechless.

"Does he know?" Nerwaye asked.

"Yes." Sola answered.

"Gods, that whole night was a mistake. It was so long ago." Nerwaye said.

"I need to know more." Nerwaye said, about to leave.

Sola held her sister back.

"No, not yet. You both remember nothing. I'm sure that he's just as excited and surprised as you. Why don't you wait until morning?" Sola asked.

"Okay, I will." Nerwaye said.

Nerwaye tried to fall asleep through her excitement. It took a long time, but eventually she fell asleep. Sola was worried about what she might have brought into the world. But she eventually got over that feeling and fell asleep. The night was peaceful for everyone, everyone feeling slightly better with Vyrkyl around keeping guard. The cold night progressed into a warm morning with a cool breeze.

Everyone woke up early, refreshed and relaxed. They went and ate food that Aedric Fury was making, having gotten a head start. It was a nice meal of bacon, fruit, and fresh unleavened bread. They all ate their fill before going to their duties. Vyrkyl, Sola, and Lunaria went to go make armor for Oldon, while Aedric Fury continued to make food. Ward-Scales said that he would go gather fresh fruit; he was claiming that it would be a good way to keep healthy and happy in a Daedric plane. Nerwaye claimed that she was going to go get to work on washing some clothes and prepare the packs for everyone, but Sola wanted her to talk to Luxen. For that reason, Sola kept Luxen out of the armor making, at least until he was done talking with Nerwaye.

Sola, Vyrkyl, and Lunaria were making the armor. Sola, of course, was a skilled clothier, having made plenty of sets of armor for herself and others. Of course, she preferred to make clothes, not armor for herself, but she never had the chance to do that between her need to make new ones for purifying bodies, or from the rate she needed to repair her old clothes. Lunaria was not very handy with a needle, but when Sola asked her to cut out the strips and sheets of leather, she quickly got to work on that, and her work was decent. Vyrkyl, was, unexpectedly, a good helper. Sola had taught him, against his will, to sew. She had him helping him whenever she was sewing back in Cyrodiil, so he had gotten rather good at it. He and Sola were putting the armor together. But Vyrkyl looked embarrassed under his helmet the whole time. With three people putting together the leather armor, it was going quickly.

Then, Luxen showed up. He was walking rather quickly, and he was not armored like he normally was; he was wearing normal clothes. He quickly and purposefully power walked his way to Sola.

"We need to talk. Right now." Luxen said.

"Say what you need to." Sola said, not looking up.

"With these people around?" Luxen asked.

"Lunaria? Want to hear juicy gossip?" Sola asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Lunaria asked.

"Vyrkyl, what about you?" Sola asked.

"Sewing and gossip go hand in hand." Vyrkyl answered.

"Okay, fine. You two, don't pay too much attention." Luxen said.

"So, your sister and I were talking about…" Luxen said, trying not to give too much away.

"...about?" Lunaria said, trying to hear everything she could.

"None of your business." Luxen said.

"What?!" Lunaria asked, getting a bit angry at being left out.

"Don't get all hotheaded. You'll figure out soon." Sola warned.

Vyrkyl laughed; he already knew.

"We were talking, and then she starts to touch me." Luxen said.

"Vyrkyl, touch me." Sola ordered.

Vyrkyl touched Sola on the elbow.

"Not like that. I mean touching." Luxen said, emphasizing his last sentence.

"Lady Sola, I would prefer not to have to touch you that way." Vyrkyl said.

"You're in luck." Sola said.

"So what? How unlucky for you." Sola said sarcastically to Luxen.

"Look, she was starting to get very graphic, physical, and sexual with me. I have a celibacy pledge to keep. I don't care if I violated it once, even if it was with her. I'm still keeping it." Luxen said.

"You're complaining? I never knew a man who would brush off physical attention." Lunaria said.

"Luxen, she's probably lonely. Then she finds the father of her kid, and now she feels like she can have fun again. I mean, it's not like it's something that had not happened before." Sola said.

"That was the first time I have ever seen her like that. It was...very uncomfortable. I had to get out of there." Luxen said.

"You know, I'm sure she was too, and I'm sure that right now she's crying her bright elven eyes out." Sola said, getting serious.

"Because the one guy who she now has some kind of attachment to just rejected her." Sola said.

"Sola, I don't want any of that." Luxen said.

"Well, you have to live up to your mistakes. There is no hiding from them now." Sola said.

"Did you at least get to talk to her, seriously?" Sola asked.

"Yeah, and after a little bit, she tries to get on top of me. I don't work like that. I take my Order very seriously. I won't be tempted like that." Luxen said.

"Okay! Look, you stay here, and I go fix your mistakes! Damn it, I knew something would go wrong!" Sola said walking out of the tent.

"Sola's mad. Good luck dealing with her later." Vyrkyl said.

"Yeah, she was actually in a good mood. So was I." Lunaria said.

Sola walked out into the fresh air from her tent. The savory smell of cooking meats and boiling stews made her mouth water. But she was here for something else entirely. She was here to fix a problem that would have not happened had she kept her mouth shut. Sola went to Aedric Fury, who was happily cooking food on a large grill on the fire.

"Hey, how's it going?" Aedric Fury asked, eyes focused on the food.

"Where's Nerwaye?" Sola asked.

"Right. So there may be a problem with her. I heard some...strange...noises coming from her when she was in that tent. But afterwards she ran out. It looked like she was going in the direction of the river. I think she had a sack of clothes with her." Aedric Fury answered.

"Thanks." Sola said.

Sola followed the path to the local stream. Nerwaye was there, with a sack of clothes by her, and she was slowly washing them. Sola sat down next to her, took her boots and socks off, and put her small bare feet in the cool water, and Sola looked down at her toes and gave a little smile.

"Hey." Nerwaye tried to greet behind held back tears.

"Luxen told me what happened." Sola said.

"I...I lost control. I thought that if he knew, he might want and like it. I threw myself at him, and he did not catch me. I guess I just look too old, or am too Altmer for him, or I don't know." Nerwaye said.

"Nerwaye, as unreasonable as it may sound, he's keeping his stupid little pledge to celibacy." Sola said.

"I know. But for a night, I think we had something. I know that neither of us remembered it, or each other, but still, it had happened. I hoped that meant that there would be a spark between us, and I could make it a flame." Nerwaye said.

"If he doesn't want it, he doesn't want it. There's nothing you can do. He's nice enough on his own, if that counts for anything." Sola said.

"Sola, I know it sounds mean, but can you leave me alone? I really need to wash these clothes." Nerwaye asked.

"Yeah. I'll go." Sola said, understanding the situation.

"Oh, and, can you ask if Lunaria will please feed Urcelmo for me? I'm sure he's hungry." Nerwaye asked.

Sola was shocked at this request. But she would comply.

"Of course. I'll leave you be." Sola said, drying her feet off and putting her shoes back on and leaving.

Sola ventured back into her tent after walking back to the camp. She walked back in, and Luxen was there standing around while Vyrkyl and Lunaria worked. Lunaria had finished cutting out all of the leather required, and was taking a small break, snacking on some nuts that Sola had likely kept on her nightstand.

"I'm back." Sola said, sitting down next to Vyrkyl, again.

"Hey, Lunaria, Nerwaye wants you to feed Urcelmo. She's busy doing laundry." Sola said.

"I have a much better idea." Lunaria said, grabbing Urcelmo from his crib.

Lunaria walked over to Luxen and handed the baby over.

"Why don't you go to that baby's mother, and have her feed him? Go keep her company while you're at it." Lunaria said, helping Luxen up and out the tent.

"I knew that you'd get the idea." Sola said.

"Oh, come on, how could I not get that?" Lunaria asked.

Luxen found himself at the river, Urcelmo, his child, in his arms. Nerwaye was over there, washing clothes silently except for the occasional sob and sniffle. Luxen swallowed his pride and took up courage and walked over. He sat down next to Nerwaye, who did not even look up. She just sat there, knelt over the water, washing clothes. I was not until Urcelmo sounded off, seeming to say something that sounded like 'mama', did she look to Luxen.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier." Nerwaye said.

"It's...it's fine." Luxen said, handing over Urcelmo.

"He's hungry." Nerwaye said, looking at her baby then at Luxen.

"Do you mind if I feed him?" Nerwaye asked.

"Please do. I wouldn't want to be him and starve." Luxen said, looking away for a second.

"I don't care if you look. It's our child." Nerwaye said.

"Yeah, that's what we need to talk about." Luxen said.

"I have a pledge of celibacy. I have service to Meridia. You know that being a father and having a wife or partner is out of the question." Luxen said.

"You know, I want Urcelmo to have a good family. Sola and I had a good family, and I want the same for him. The last thing I want is for him to think that I never loved him. But I was always dreading the day that he would ask where his father was." Nerwaye said.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to raise my child. It's that I have rites and promises that I need to honor, and those must come before anything else." Luxen said.

Nerwaye looked rather heartbroken. Luxen, having a soft heart, could not bear to see her this way. He still had his rites and pledges to keep, and there was no way around that. But he figured that at least he could give Nerwaye some consolation to make her feel somewhat better.

"Okay, I don't want to leave you all by yourself. How about after we do what we need to, we talk?" Luxen asked.

Nerwaye looked brighter.

"Okay." Nerwaye said.

The rest of the day trickled by. The armor was eventually finished. The set of leather armor was very fine and high quality. Coupled with a set of swords that Sola had lying around, it would make a good improvisation for Oldon's gear. Aedric Fury finished making all of the food that they would need for at least a week. Ward-Scales was surprisingly friendly. Not to say that this enigmatic Argonian was friendly, but by no means was he disrespectful and cold to them, at least not intentionally. He was fine helping around with whatever there was to do around the camp. The same went for Lunaria. Even after their volatile encounter after they had met, both Sola and Nerwaye had warmed up to Lunaria after she was willing to help Sola make armor, and after she seemed to care about little Urcelmo. It seemed as if all possible ways that their group to fall apart had all been patched.

The night passed peacefully. Still, bright in Nerwaye's eyes was Luxen. He was the father of her child. Every waking moment in the night, Nerwaye was thinking about Urcelmo or Luxen, or the both of them. Even though Luxen was coming across as unwilling to take part in the raising of his child, partly because he was still unsure if Urcelmo was really his child, Nerwaye was remaining hopeful. Sola was equally suspicious of what might happen, but she figured that in the end, everything would work out well.

The morning came, and everyone woke up, ate a good meal of fried potatoes, bacon, and fresh bread, and prepared to leave. Ward-Scales had on his massive heavy armor, with an axe and shield, and a greatsword on his back. Aedric Fury was also covered in heavy armor with an axe and shield, with a greatsword. Luxen had on his heavy armor, and had a sword and shield on his back, with an Aedric spear ready to be conjured. Lunaria had a set of two staves on her back and clothed in bright red robes, matching her eyes, and she had a little dagger on her hip, just in case. Vyrkyl was coated in his Daedric armor, and had his massive greatsword in his right hand, and had a bow and quiver of arrows on his back. Nerwaye had a magical staff and a sword, and Sola had two staves and a sword, and the two sisters had on very similar clothes. Coupled with their gear, everyone had a sizable backpack stuffed to the brim with food and water, and a few choice goods. Ward-Scales had a stick, for no discernible reason. Aedric Fury had a little sack of spices and a fire starting kit, coupled with a grill hanging off of his backpack. Luxen had several tokens of Meridia, coupled with a book to read. Lunaria had a patch of scales which she claimed had come from an Akaviri soldier. Vyrkyl was loaded with a massive tent, Oldon's spare armor and weapons, along with a personal statue of Molag Bal, which, at this point, had sustained quite a bit of damage from Sola's use of magic. Nerwaye was rather unburdened physically, but she had a few spare sets of clothes for everyone. Sola had her statues of Meridia and Azura. Even though Azura had fallen a bit out of her life, she kept it with her when she went on adventures. They all had a bedroll, some gold, and a few sticks of wood for fire. They were ready. All but one important detail.

"It's time, let's go." Sola said, readying her magic.

"Wait! What about Urcelmo?" Nerwaye asked.

In all of this preparation, they had all forgotten to consider the little baby. When Sola heard this, her eyes opened wide for a second, thinking about what to do. Everyone else stood around, clueless on what to do.

"I knew we forgot something." Vyrkyl said.

"Right. Vyrkyl, you wouldn't happen to know any Dremora willing to watch a baby for a few days, would you?" Sola asked.

"No, I wouldn't." Vyrkyl answered.

"By the Eight, that isn't even an option!" Nerwaye exclaimed.

"You know what is? Magical stasis." Ward-Scales said.

"I would really like to avoid that." Nerwaye said.

"Okay, okay, I understand that. Then let me know what we should do." Sola said.

"Erm...well...I don't know. I want him to be safe in his mother's arms." Nerwaye said.

"Stasis? Sounds good to me." Vyrkyl said, stepping over to Nerwaye, who quickly gripped her baby.

"I want to go with all of you, but I have a baby." Nerwaye said.

"Well, we dug ourselves in this hole." Lunaria said.

"I can handle this." Vyrkyl said, stepping even closer to Nerwaye.

"No!" Nerwaye said, stepping back, trying to flee to behind Luxen and Aedric Fury.

"Enough. This is for the best." Vyrkyl said, grabbing Nerwaye by the arms and prying Urcelmo out.

At this point, Urcelmo had started to cry.

"Sola, let's do this magic together." Vyrkyl said.

"My baby!" Nerwaye cried, Luxen grabbing her to hold her back, for it was for the best.

The pair synergized their magic. Sola channeled magic that grew dark with Daedric energies, and so did Vyrkyl. Everyone was rather surprised that Vyrkyl had access to the magicka in his blood. In fact, he was magically potent, but he never wanted anyone to know, so he kept it secret. He was nowhere near on the level of Lunaria, Sola, or Nerwaye, but he could hold his own better than most mortals. The two readied a spell meant to put someone in a magically induced stasis, where they would not have to eat, breathe, or drink. They were, however, rather vulnerable to physical harm due to being unable to react. Sola countered this by infusing the stasis spell with a healing ward, so even if Urcelmo managed to be hurt in stasis, he would be healed by the ward that also protects him. While the duo cast this spell, Nerwaye cried, and even Luxen looked away. After the spell was finished, Urcelmo was left in a little bundle of dark magic, which had solidified into the consistency of a black soul gem. But internally, it radiated white light, but the light was choked by the dark stasis. Sola then grabbed a blanket and swaddled it around the stasis bubble and handed it off to Nerwaye.

"Well take him out of it when it's safe. Until then, just hold onto him in your backpack." Sola said.

Nerwaye was speechless and holding her mouth, stopping her from either crying or cursing, likely both. So, Vyrkyl went over and opened Nerwaye's backpack, removed a few sets of clothes, put in the stasis bubble, and then put everything back, then closed the backpack.

"I'll trust you this time. Just don't be wrong." Nerwaye said.

Sola opened the portal to the pocket of Oblivion. The inside of the portal was dark; they had no idea where they were going. The portal oscillated between light and darkness from Sola's magic. They all stepped through adventurously. As they stepped through, adrenaline filled their blood; they were excited and anxious to see what would lay ahead. Their hearts pumped slowly, and time seemed to dilate as they tried to go through the portal.

They emerged, atop the Tower at the top of the plane of Oblivion. Around them, they saw everything as small dots. The only thing of concern was the few Daedra standing in front of them, their weapons ready. That and Oldon, beaten and injured, knelt on the floor, crying for help.

Sola was the first to see him, and she ran out to him before she was held in place by magic. The other six stopped in their tracks, although Vyrkyl was about to charge if the situation did not improve quickly. The Daedric captor, the supposed 'Prince' Xinryk, was standing in front of them, Oldon being held down by his arm.

"Let go of him!" Sola yelled trying to reach for her staff.

"You have come here to try and take me on and free your friend. You are all so weak. You only think you can defeat me. I would like to see you try. Take your friend and find and defeat me if you are so proud and confident. I want to kill you." Xinryk said, using magic to float Oldon over to Sola.

Sola had just managed to break free of the magic holding her, which had required exceptional talent. Sola quickly summoned an Aedric spear until she felt a familiar cold, armored hand on her shoulder. Vyrkyl was there, holding Oldon in one arm. He quickly pulled Sola back to the waiting portal.

"We have what we need." Vyrkyl said, dragging Sola along.

Vyrkyl waved everyone through the portal, and they all stacked up, ready to go through. They all went through. Sola looked behind her the whole time, and stared right into the corrupted eyes of Xinryk.

They emerged in a battlefield. The Tower was far away. But more pressing was the loud explosions of magic occurring all around them, throwing dirt several meters into the air. A great amount of cold-fire slammed into the ground and exploded, causing a deafening noise and a fiery explosion. Everyone was in shock. They all ran to a crater in the ground, which had been made by a magical artillery attack, to go and take stock. They all made it in to go and check on Oldon.

Oldon was not in good shape. He was breathing in short, hard breaths. He was raw and bloody. Fur had been torn off of him in several places. They were all surprised his tail was intact. When everyone had all slid into the crater, they looked at Oldon, who was fully naked from his torture, and how he cried in pain.

"Oldon, it's me! Do you hear me?" Sola asked, worryingly shaking Oldon's head.

Oldon mumbled something.

"It isn't safe here!" Aedric Fury yelled over the deafening blasts.

"Where can we go?" Sola asked.

"Sola...thank you…" Oldon barely choked out.

"Oldon…" Sola said, starting to cry.

"Get him up and mobile!" Vyrkyl yelled, throwing down his backpack and taking out the armor and swords.

"Can you move?" Sola asked.

"I can manage to." Oldon answered.

"It's good to see you again." Sola said, giving her friend a hug.

"Sola, get on cauterizer! He needs attention!" Vyrkyl yelled, rushing over the armor.

Sola did not even grab a staff. She readied healing magic with only her hands. She channeled immense power and projected it to Oldon. She heard him give a sigh of relief when the magic had dulled his pain. Sola shifted into overdrive in an attempt to heal quickly. She had gone from being happy to see her friend, to angry to who had done this to Oldon. Her healing magic shifted from white to black, and the darkness covered Oldon for a few seconds until he was restored.

Vyrkyl slammed the armor on the floor as he quickly started to put in on Oldon, all while Luxen started to help with that too. Lunaria had been adventurous and climbed to the top of the dark crater to see what was happening. There was the all too bright flashes of magic explosions.

Right after Oldon had been put in his armor, Vyrkyl handed off the two swords to him. Still, Oldon could not move. The pain had been dulled, but he was so tired from a lack of sleep that he could not move. Vyrkyl looked behind him to go get Sola for help, but he looked back and saw her with a staff in her hand. She had built up a sizeable magical potential. Lightning as black as night sparked off of the staff, and Sola bent it over to her left hand, and let the magicka flow back through her. She then lifted the staff to Oldon's heart, from a distance away, and let the potential discharge. The black bolt of electrically-infused restoration magic flew to Oldon. It struck him and discharged energy throughout his body. His body contracted for a second, but then Oldon had regained full control of his body. He quickly got up and was ready to move, the magic having restored energy to his body.

"No time for catching up! We need to move!" Vyrkyl yelled, pulling Oldon away from Sola.

"We have soldiers approaching!" Lunaria yelled, sliding back down the crater.

Intense seconds passed by as the continual bombardment of the plane continued. The deafening booms were reaching a climax. Still, out of all of the noise, they all heard notable orders.

"Move forward! Push the soldiers back! We have the advantage!" A Dremora yelled.

"They're going to find us." Nerwaye said.

"Not if we attack first." Ward-Scales said.

"Attack then." Sola said.

They all climbed up to the top of the crater. They all had weapons out. They looked at the Dremora soldiers. They were troops of the 'Prince'. They were outfitted with several different styles of scavenged Daedric weapons, and were ready to attack the other advancing faction. But the squad of mortals and Vyrkyl had caught them by surprise. They attacked. Vyrkyl pulled out his greatsword and ran forward, slamming his sword into the dirt as he charged. Aedric Fury followed behind, running with his shield raised. Luxen followed, just as bravely. Ward-Scales vanished into the air. Oldon waited for a second before channeling the power of the storm and rushing to the Daedric soldiers. Lunaria gave a smile as she prepared a gauntlet of fire magic for the waiting enemies. Nerwaye took her staff and shot out fire spells. Sola summoned several orbs of light magic to throw out.

Vyrkyl collided first with the enemies. He slammed into what looked like the highest-ranking soldier, and Vyrkyl kicked him to his knees and beheaded him with a single hand. Vyrkyl then readied a powerful swing at another soldiers, so forceful that it threw the soldier back a meter when Vyrkyl released the attack. Aedric Fury charged towards a soldier who was preparing to attack Vyrkyl, and Aedric Fury went and slammed his shield into the Dremora, then slashed at him with his axe. Luxen summoned an Aedric spear and charged to a Dremora, stabbing him. Lunaria laughed as she caused fire to rain down, while Nerwaye had summoned a powerful magical crystal to launch out. Sola channeled her power and rained down a shower of healing magic to counter any damage to her friends, namely damage from Lunaria's storm. Oldon had quickly ran into the middle of the fight, covered in storm magic. Oldon was dishing out slashes, with both his swords, into the torsos of the Daedra. Ward-Scales appeared out of thin air and let out siphoning magic, and he siphoned the lifeforce of of the Daedric soldiers. As the power ran through his veins, he slashed at the surviving soldiers. Sola prepared a spell to attack a soldier, and as she let loose her shock spell, Oldon dove into it, absorbed it, and let it loose onto the Daedra with impressive talent. A short battle later, all of the Dremora lay dead, and the group reveling in their victory. But there was no time to wait around.

"Move forward! Fight against the magic!" A male voice called out.

The group looked behind them. There was an advancing unit of soldiers, armored in stark white, polished armor that looked Daedric in origin. They marched strongly with swords and shields and fully covered helmets. The commander of the unit held a magical staff, equally as pure and white, and moved forward with his unit.

"Hold!" The commander yelled after he laid eyes upon the group.

"You have five seconds to surrender!" The commander yelled in Daedric.

"What?" Luxen asked to the group, silently.

"It's Daedric." Sola said.

"He wants us to surrender. I don't surrender." Vyrkyl said.

"Today you do." Sola said.

Sola prepared her staff, and she swung it into the air, and let loose light magic.

Luxen followed suit, summoning an Aedric spear and waving it into the air.

The other Daedra slowly and carefully made their way to the squad. At this point, the magical bombardment had stopped. The white soldiers all lined up, shields all facing forward, their swords pointed out towards the group, and the unit commander looked at them.

"Surrender!" The unit commander ordered.

"Hold on." Sola said.

"Mortals, sir." A soldier said.

"I am no mortal." Vyrkyl said.

"In the name of Meridia, why are there mortals here?!" The commander asked Sola.

"You serve Meridia? I serve her!" Luxen said, trying to prevent an attack.

"Do mortals even serve the Lady?" Another soldier asked.

"Silence!" The commander yelled at his soldier.

"I serve Meridia too!" Sola said.

"I do not." Vyrkyl said.

"Take them prisoner!" The unit commander yelled.

The soldiers obeyed. Sola had quickly signaled that they would obey. They were all bound by their hands and forced to walk in the direction that the soldiers had marched from. The commander yelled at them, demanding silence until they returned to the base. It took several hours, but eventually, they had returned to the base.

The base that had been mentioned was much more like a campground. The thousands of tents each shone with a white brilliance. Checkpoints manned by soldiers with ballistae were ready to fire. The whole camp looked ready for a siege. The group was brought into the camp. They received strange looks from the soldiers, who were always armored and had helmets on and weapons at their sides. Eventually, the group was brought into an especially brilliant tent and there, a female Daedric general was there, her helmet off, blonde, brilliant hair with her white, shining armor. She was beautiful, but there were much more important things at hand.

"We found these mortals." The unit commander said, dropping off the group and leaving.

The group was set on their knees, their hands in front of them and bound. Sola looked up at the general. She walked around, with a sword in her hilt. She walked back and forth several times before she decided to speak up.

"I assume that you serve Molag Bal." The general said.

"What makes you think that?" Aedric Fury asked.

"You have a Kyn outfitted in his armor." The general answered.

"You are assuming wrong. I am currently in service to one of the women here." Vyrkyl said.

"I left Molag Bal after I was betrayed." Lunaria said.

"Then, who do you serve? Mehrunes Dagon?" The general asked.

"Come on, who do you think we are? We're not evil." Luxen said.

"Then who?!" The general asked.

"We all don't serve one god or Daedric prince. We're mortals. We have our own mind, and each one of us has our own beliefs." Sola said.

"Fine. Each one of you, tell me one at a time." The general said.

"I serve myself and the Ebonheart Pact." Lunaria said.

"Same." Ward-Scales said.

"I serve Auri-El and the Aldmeri Dominion." Oldon said.

"I serve Auri-El and the Aldmeri Dominion." Nerwaye said.

"I serve the Order of Merid-Nunda." Aedric Fury said.

"I serve the Order of Merid-Nunda." Luxen said.

"I serve Meridia and Azura, and the Aldmeri Dominion." Sola said.

"I serve Sola. But if we want to go to where I come from, I come from Coldharbour." Vyrkyl said.

"Well, I have much in common with three of you." The general said.

"I too serve our Lady of Light, Meridia." The general said.

"For that, I will remove the binds off of you three." The general said, removing the binds off of Aedric Fury, Luxen, and Sola.

"Now, tell me why you are here." The general said.

"Not so fast. Tell me who you are." Sola said.

"Fine. I am General Coloura, commander of Meridia's Holy Army in the demiplane of Xinryk." General Coloura said.

"Now, then, introduce each one of you to me." General Coloura ordered.

"Ward-Scales. I come from Shadowfen. I am here because I want to be." Ward-Scales said.

"Lunaria Chimeri. I'm here to fight Daedra. You're obviously a Daedra." Lunaria said.

"Nerwaye Auroron, I'm here to rescue Oldon. We found him." Nerwaye said.

"Warden Vyrkyl of Coldharbour, servant to both Molag Bal and Sola Auroron. I am here to help my master Sola recover this so called 'Oldon'." Vyrkyl said.

"I am Oldon, I was captured and rescued." Oldon said.

"I'm Aedric Fury. Fair general, I was here to end the Daedric threat." Aedric Fury said.

"I am Daedric." General Coloura said.

"The evil Daedra, General Coloura." Aedric Fury said.

"I am Sanctius Luxen, here to both rescue Oldon and end the Daedric threat." Luxen said.

"I'm Sola Auroron. I'm here to rescue Oldon and get revenge on the Daedra." Sola said.

"Well, to let you know, I have this situation under you want to leave, discuss it. I shall leave for a moment." General Coloura said, leaving her tent.

There was a second of silence among the group.

"Who wants to leave?" Sola asked.

"We've done enough here. Let's go." Ward-Scales said.

"No, don't you see? This is so much bigger than us. I'm no Daedra-lover, but this is something we should help with." Lunaria said.

"We got the cat. That should be enough." Vyrkyl said.

"Come on, Sola, you can't leave like this. Your home is probably being ravaged by these soldiers. We've found Meridia's army here, so I think we'll all be well accepted." Luxen said.

"I'll let you decide." Sola said with a smile, talking about the whole group.

"I was captured there. It was horrible. Horrible. That is evil that must not walk upon Nirn...evil that I...let out." Oldon said.

"I let my anger and want for revenge get to me. I hunted down those bandits and let out a curse meant to stay locked away forever." Oldon said.

"It's okay." Sola said.

"Yeah, it's okay. You were angry. It happens." Nerwaye said.

"As much as I'd like to go home and spend time with my parents, which Azura knows I'd like to do, that obviously isn't happening." Sola said.

"If we need to, I'll stay. I mean I have nothing better going on anyways." Lunaria said.

"Same." Ward-Scales said.

"You have decided, so I think." General Coloura said, walking back in before consensus was truly reached.

"I'm not sure about that." Luxen said.

"Anyone here not willing to stay and end this threat?" Sola asked with finality.

Nobody said anything.

"Then we have our answer." Sola said.

"Right. You three worshipers of my Lady. Are these other five safe to release from their binds?" General Coloura asked.

"Yeah." Sola answered.

"Ugh, I'm hungry." Oldon said, his stomach growling.

"By the Eight, I completely forgot." Sola said, rummaging through her bag for some food.

General Coloura went around, releasing everyone from their binds, but then she got to Vyrkyl.

"Are you sure the Kyn is safe to release?" General Coloura asked.

"I can kill you in a thought. But I will not. There are greater goals." Vyrkyl answered.

"He's safe. Just don't provoke him." Sola said.

"Fine. I will release him too." General Coloura said.

"But, I do have something to ask of all of you. While I have full faith in the abilities of my soldiers and I, I do need help." General Coloura said.

"I was not aware that any Daedroth would step so low as to ask help from a mortal." Vyrkyl said.

"These times are desperate." General Coloura said.

"Meridia is not the only Prince with an army here on this plane. There are two others in addition to Xinryk's forces. Both Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon have invaded." General Coloura said.

"I knew about Molag Bal; my forces were stripped from me for this." Vyrkyl said.

"You know, this reminds me of the Three Banners War: three factions and an already present faction." Luxen said.

"It is indeed a good analogy. While hostilities between the three Princes are rather uncommon in this invasion, they are still present. I will be honest with all of you: we each want the glory of winning this fight. Dagon is here because Xinryk was his problem and he wants to solve it, Molag Bal is here because Coldharbour was attacked, and I am here because Meridia gave me orders to protect the mortal world by ending this." General Coloura said.

"I want the honor. All of it. And I would not be asking for your help if I could win this alone. The problem is that Xinryk's forces are very well trained and strong. Much more than we expected. Molag Bal cannot win this without pulling forces out of Nirn, as much as I would really like that." General Coloura said.

"Dagon is still recovering from when the Three false ones repelled him." General Coloura added.

"Take that." Lunaria said.

"What I mean to say is that none of us are at fully operational capacity. And if the fierce resistance continues, we will be forced to flee Xinryk and hope that we have enough time to prepare again." General Coloura said.

"And that's where we come in…" Vyrkyl said.

"Only if you want. I was planning on calling for a meeting, but I obviously am not held in high regard among Dagon and Molag Bal." General Coloura said.

"And seeing as you have a Kyn…" General Coloura continued.

"You truly are an opportunist." Vyrkyl said.

"That's what it takes to be a general; you act while you are ahead." General Coloura.

"Then, however, poses the question: what do I get in return?" Ward-Scales asked.

"Your reward will be that Nirn does not get taken over by Xinryk's forces. I make no promises about anything else." General Coloura answered.

"I say we do this. I was captured by them, and I itch for revenge." Oldon said.

"Well, I just wanted to see what I could get out of this." Ward-Scales said.

"I cannot promise a reward, but certainly I could try to scavenge up something." General Coloura said.

"Well then, I suppose you will go start now…" General Coloura said.

"Not so fast. These are mortals. You do not treat them like your soldiers. You work mortals endlessly and they go insane and they are forever ruined." Vyrkyl said.

"What? Are you all really considering taking a break while your world burns from two sources?!" General Coloura asked.

"Well, I could really use some sleep and food." Sola said.

"I haven't slept in...a long time." Oldon said.

"Well, fine then. I can't complain about the free help. Go find me when you're ready to move on. I'll give you orders from there." General Coloura said.

"We'll make ourselves at home." Aedric Fury said.

The group moved about to what looked like a fine, flat spot to set up the tent. Vyrkyl and Luxen quickly got the tent set up, and everyone laid out their sleeping bags to rest. But before they would all sleep, they would eat. They dug through their provisions and ate the tasty meats and bread. They all then shared some wine, not much, being careful to conserve it. They then all went to sleep to rest.

The rest ended. There was no day-night cycle, so it was easy to be confused about the time. When they all woke up, they ate breakfast and got ready. They decided that it was best that they leave as much as they could at their tent. They all left their backpacks and essentially everything but their weapons, food, armor, and a bit to drink. Oldon finally felt rested after having been kept up for so long. Everyone met with General Coloura to receive orders.

"Blessings of Meridia to you mortals, and Kyn." General Coloura said.

"I want you to go to Molag Bal and ask for help. I know I am not asking for something easy, seeing as the state of the Planemeld. But I am sure you will recognize that this is for the best." General Coloura said.

"Great." Lunaria said.

"Look, I'm not going to lie. This is not going to be easy to do. Thankfully, you don't have to deal with Molag Bal, rather, he has a general here. Just convince him to quit attacking my soldiers, and, if possible, unite forces. He's north of here." General Coloura said.

"Well, we'll try our best." Luxen said.

"I do have something that may make it easier on you." General Coloura said.

General Coloura reached to the left side of her hip. There, her sword was stored. She pulled out her sword, and it shone a brilliant white and gold. It radiated so much that it was difficult to look at, but the radiance itself made everyone want to look at it. The combination of all different aspects of the blade made Sola instantly recognize what it was: Dawnbreaker.

"Before I left the Colored Rooms to go to this realm, Meridia handed me this, and told me to strike down Xinryk with it. I am not going to tell you to march up to the Tower and do that right now. If you are stuck in a bad situation, use it. I don't care if it's a battle or you show it as proof of cooperation. Keep it from my Lady, but until this crisis ends, you can hold onto Dawnbreaker as a sign of our agreement." General Coloura said.

"Now, who wants it?" General Coloura asked, waving Dawnbreaker about.

Sola, Luxen, and Aedric Fury's eyes all shined at seeing General Coloura offer Dawnbreaker. The three of them waved their arms and leapt towards the blade, like little puppies, saying "Me, me me!". General Coloura was obviously inclined to give it to one of them, but she thought about which one. Aedric Fury looked like the best choice in terms of functionality, but Luxen was sure to be the one who looked most noble with it, and Sola, functioning as the pseudo-commander, had the right to have Dawnbreaker too. General Coloura waved the blade around, and saw the three followers of Meridia nod their heads as the blade moved around. General Coloura brought down Dawnbreaker and handed it to Sola.

"Take care of it." General Coloura said.

Sola let out a happy gasp and she took the blade and danced around with it. Instantly, General Coloura was embarrassed by the ordeal. Sola even gloated about it to Luxen and Aedric Fury, who were both disappointed.

"Take this." Sola said, pulling out her personal sword, which looked loosely like Dawnbreaker, and giving it to Luxen, Sola putting Dawnbreaker in her old sword sheath.

"Right. It isn't a toy." General Coloura said.

"Now go. I don't have all year." General Coloura continued.

The group moved out, Sola leading at the front. She pridefully marched towards the north, where they were told Molag Bal was. Everything started out fine at first, but as time moved forward, the journey was getting tougher and tougher. The terrain of the demiplane of Xinryk was not very nice, in fact, it resembled the Deadlands, but where Meridia's army was based out of, the signs of warfare were not there. But as the group got closer and closer, the signs of battle were evident. From massive scorch marks on the ground, to craters, to loose weapons and armor. There was the occasional scamp or banekin. But as the group moved closer towards what would best be considered as Molag Bal's holdings, battle ensued.

General Coloura's forces were engaged in a fight with Molag Bal's forces. Plenty of her soldiers were engaged in fights with Molag Bal's Dremora. In this battle, which seemed to have been going on for quite a long time, the white armor of Meridia's army had been made dirt brown for camouflage. Several of them had black scorch marks on the armor, and many more had pieces of armor missing. The brilliant white swords laid on the ground, too many broken. Too many arrows in the ground. Molag Bal's forces were equally in an entrenched position. The Dremora soldiers in Xinryk were not the elite Xivkyn or even the standard Dremora soldiers who were once on Nirn. These were the backup soldiers who guarded prisons and work camps. They had little training in battle, and were generally not very skilled, but the same could be said with General Coloura's forces.

"Who are you?!" A captain of Meridia's army asked the group of mortals that approached his position.

"We're from General Coloura!" Sola yelled over the ensuing explosions.

The group moved on up to the plain in which the battle was taking place in. Bouts of magical artillery and siege weapons were slamming into the plain in which the battle was taking. Engaged in fights were the Daedric forces. The matches were even, and it seemed like a stalemate. But Sola and her group found the captain who had called for them.

"Who are you people?" The captain asked.

"I'm Sola Auroron, and these are my friends. We have orders from General Coloura." Sola answered.

"I've never heard of you before." The captain said.

"What rank are you?" The captain asked.

"Um...corporal." Sola answered.

"Mortal ranks? You're a mortal?!" The captain asked.

"Whatever. What are your orders? Fall back?" The captain asked.

"I need to get me and my group to Molag Bal's base. We have something very important to discuss with his general." Sola answered.

"By Meridia! I can't do that! I've been bogging down his forces for a while, and they're not going anywhere." The captain said.

"Well, give me a solution." Sola said.

"My solution would be to have you turn back around. But that isn't going to work." The captain said.

"Okay, so I just have orders to prevent Molag Bal from advancing. I've done that perfectly fine. But I have soldiers that need to go rest. If I can get this battle won, we aren't far from Molag Bal's base of operations, and you can approach from there." The captain said.

"What are we looking at?" Vyrkyl asked.

"What?!" The captain exclaimed, shocked at seeing Vyrkyl.

"Don't give that to me! What is there to fight?!" Vyrkyl ordered.

"Okay, so we're both evenly matched. The enemy garrison is only fifty. We only have thirty, but with you, thirty-eight. We have the high ground if that helps." The captain said.

"Right. Everyone, on me!" Sola said, bringing her squad together.

"So, anyone have any ideas?" Sola asked.

"Easy. Currently the two factions in battling. We end the main battle, which is actually very small, and then advance." Vyrkyl said.

"I know that. I mean a specific way." Sola said.

"Charge." Vyrkyl answered.

"They've fallen back to their high ground!" A soldier yelled.

"Great." Nerwaye said.

"That makes everything much harder." Aedric Fury said.

"Okay. So, if Aedric Fury, Ward-Scales, and I advance, we'll hold our shields up to block anything that comes at us. Coupled with whatever soldiers we can scrap up from around here, we have a good enough force to advance." Luxen said.

"If I can get a small group, we can flank them while they are engaged in battle with you." Oldon said.

"Count me in on that." Vyrkyl said.

"Right. If we have Lunaria and Nerwaye on the backlines, they can use magic to attack from afar." Sola said.

"I can gather up a healer or two and ensure that nobody gets injured too badly." Sola added.

"You have a plan?" The captain asked, his head sticking into the group.

"Yeah." Ward-Scales said, shoving him out.

"Then let's move out." Vyrkyl said.

"What kind of soldiers do you have with you?" Sola asked the captain.

"As it turns out, I have only twenty five left. Four mages, Eight shieldbearers, four swordsmen, seven reserve men, one healer, and me." The captain answered.

"Okay, we came up with a plan…" Sola said.

Fifteen minutes later, the plan was being executed. Luxen, Aedric Fury, Ward-Scales, and the shieldmen that they could find were all charging up the hill where Molag Bal's forces were staying. Meridia's soldiers were having arrows shot at them, but the frontline of shields made it difficult to do any damage to the mages and swordsmen. Lunaria, Nerwaye, and Sola were among the swordsmen and mages and three reserve soldiers. While the frontline blocked what they could, the backline tossed out magic and shot arrows to weaken the Dremora. The advance was slow, to lure the Dremora out of their high ground. And that is what caused their downfall. The Dremora, tired of being attacked from afar while in their entrenched positions, took up arms and gathered to attack the force head on. The significantly larger force charged, but they were flanked from their right. Oldon, Vyrkyl, the rest of the reserve men, and one healer, along with the captain, slammed into the flank. Slashing and stabbing, the flank attack succeeded in disrupting the charge for long enough for the already advancing Daedra to charge themselves.

The shieldbearers sprinted full force to the front of the enemy unit, and stabbed with their swords, in an attempt to break the Dremora's equally strong frontline. That was able to distract the two frontlines while the backlines focused on killing one another. They all knew to aim for the medics and cauterizers first. And that is what happened. While the Dremora cauterizers tried to heal up their comrades while they were attacked from the flank, they were targeted. While the Daedric mages were focused on attacking the frontline to break it, Sola, Nerwaye, and Lunaria attacked the cauterizers with fierce magic. With fire, storm, and light, the cauterizers fell. Without any way to defend from the flank attack, the mages and swordsmen within the Dremora unit fell pray to Vyrkyl and Oldon's fast attack. Within a few minutes, the battle had been won.

"Thanks for all of your help." The captain said.

"I think we may have caused more harm than good by attacking these soldiers." Vyrkyl said.

"I'm sure that we'll be fine." Sola said.

"I sure do hope so." Vyrkyl said.

"Right. With this, we can hold our own." The captain said.

The group moved on. They passed the high ground that Molag Bal's troops had occupied. They moved past it and into what could be considered Molag Bal's territory. The land was equally as barren and desolate. The group was expecting to find Dremora soldiers walking about, attempting to find a way to attack either General Coloura's forces, or to find a way to attack Xinryk's forces. But the group managed to avoid finding anything to fight, which was for the best, considering they had no food, drink, or anything to sustain them in prolonged combat. But their small group allowed them to move quickly, even though eight people certainly seemed like a lot for a task.

After adventuring on the barren land for a few hours, the equivalent of a camp came into view. General Coloura had thousands of tents, while Molag Bal's general had a notable amount more. The group could see clearly all of the fresh troops walking off to battle. Thankfully, they were not spotted, and were able to move in a bit closer before Vyrkyl held everyone up.

"Everyone, stop." Vyrkyl said.

"What is it?" Sola asked.

"We can only go so much farther before we get spotted. I do not want to know how far we can go before getting killed." Vyrkyl said.

"Right. So, what's the plan?" Lunaria asked.

"We could bring them here, where I can 'negotiate' our capture. You know, get us to the commander without a fight." Vyrkyl said.

"How'd we do that?" Ward-Scales asked.

"Sola, I presume you have a flare with you." Vyrkyl said.

"Do I have to use a flare? Can't I just let loose some magic?" Sola asked.

"I suppose you could." Vyrkyl answered.

Sola let loose a flare of brilliant light magic. It rose far into the air, lighting the air up to be a brilliant blue, before the bright ball of magic exploded, coloring the air around it to be blue. It truly was a brilliant and beautiful spell that Sola had cast. The soldiers of Molag Bal took notice. Some were sent to investigate. Three soldiers who had duties to guard the camp went to the source of the magic. With their swords out, they carefully peered around the rocks where the group was. After searching a few, they turned around one, and Vyrkyl was waiting there, the rest of the group right behind him.

"Warden Vyrkyl!" A soldier exclaimed.

"Is this him?" Another soldier asked.

"It is I." Vyrkyl said.

"We all have orders to take you alive or dead to the general." A soldier said.

"Take us alive." Vyrkyl said.

"How many of you are there?" The other soldier said.

"Eight. We need to talk to the general." Vyrkyl said.

"Follow us then. Mortals, keep your weapons and eyes down." The third soldier said.

They all walked with their heads down. The Dremora were giving them strange looks. They, understandably, questioned why all of a sudden there were all of these mortals around. Of course, Vyrkyl walked around as if he owned the place; Sola figured it was because some of the soldiers were once guards of his. Oldon hid his head down, his tail flat, as if he was about to get beaten. Nerwaye, Luxen, and Ward-Scales just kept their heads down, trying to take small peaks at what was going on. Sola and Lunaria, however, were very curious, trying to see what was going on, but Vyrkyl kept on telling them to keep their heads down. Eventually, after minutes of walking, they all arrived at the tent of Molag Bal's general.

"Who are these mortals?" The general asked.

"What is more important is who the Kyn is." A soldier answered, walking away.

"Oh...you. I remember you." The general told Sola.

"Me?" Sola asked in shock.

"That must mean that you're…" The general started to say.

"Warden Vyrkyl. Of course I am." Vyrkyl answered.

"Well, I would like to welcome you, but I feel unwelcome in your presence." The general said.

"And I see that your guards did not know how to disarm prisoners." The general continued, seeing as everyone had their weapons.

"We're not here to bring up bad blood, or whatever you two have." Sola said.

"My bad blood is with you, mortal!" The general yelled at Sola.

"I will destroy you if you talk to my master that way again!" Vyrkyl yelled back even louder.

"Okay, what she means to say is that we aren't here to cause trouble." Nerwaye said.

"I might be a bit slow on this, but I think that that Dremora general is the one that Vyrkyl killed." Luxen said.

"That's hilarious." Lunaria chimed in.

"It's Xivkyn. I am no mere Dremora." The general said.

"Right, let's just leave egos at the door, okay? This'll make it much easier." Nerwaye said.

"I must agree with mortal Nerwaye." Vyrkyl said.

"Nerwaye? Hm...that name sounds familiar. You don't happen to have a soul in Coldharbour, do you?" The general asked.

"Don't know, and don't specifically care." Nerwaye answered.

"Right. Too many Altmer. Hard to know." The general said.

"Anyways, I am General Xiv-Kha. General of Molag Bal." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Now, explain to me why you are here." General Xiv-Kha ordered.

"We are here to…" Sola tried to say.

"Not from you, mortal." General Xiv-Kha interrupted.

Vyrkyl lashed out. He grabbed General Xiv-Kha by his head and slammed him onto the ground, before getting up and close to the general.

"Let the lady speak." Vyrkyl said, slowly letting the general up.

"We're here to negotiate a truce between you and Meridia." Sola said.

"That is non-negotiable. As much as we are at war with the mortals, we are at war with her." General Xiv-Kha said.

"How about this: you make a truce with General Coloura." Luxen said.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" General Xiv-Kha asked.

"She's Meridia's general in...wherever we are." Ward-Scales said.

"That...that sounds better. Better, not great." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I want you to remember that Molag Bal and Meridia are not on the best of terms." General Xiv-Kha added.

"And this General Coloura is better off sending mortals who are not her servants to avoid their killing." General Xiv-Kha.

"Great General Xiv-Kha, let us please…" Aedric Fury tried to say.

"Cut it with the chivalry. Get to the point." General Xiv-Kha ordered.

Aedric Fury fell silent.

"This isn't about you or I, this is so much bigger. Bigger than us, Meridia, or Molag Bal." Luxen said.

"Is it? If it wasn't for the Planemeld, this could be over with!" General Xiv-Kha said.

"You sound butthurt." Lunaria said.

"What do you have to say to that?" Vyrkyl asked.

"Fine. Fine. I was not one of Molag Bal's chosen generals for the Planemeld. So what? I am still fully competent, and I am proving myself here." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Okay, so I guess that this isn't on as big of a scale as I thought it was." Luxen said.

"How about this? I am not asking for much. How about you, General Coloura, and Mehrunes Dagon's general just make peace?" Sola asked.

"That does sound more reasonable." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Of course, what proof do I have of this? What reason do I have to trust you?" General Xiv-Kha asked.

"You sound like you want to believe us." Nerwaye said.

"Truth be told, I do. If I keep up this fight, I will lose. I will not lose this fight for my Master. I simply will not. But I am left without soldiers, and the ones I have tend to be incompetent." General Xiv-Kha said.

"What's stopping you?" Nerwaye asked.

"Dishonor. I want to win, but I hope that winning with allies is better than losing without them." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Do you see Molag Bal around? How's he gonna find out?" Nerwaye asked.

"You make a good point." General Xiv-Kha said.

The general waited around for a few seconds, in thought. Thought in which everyone else was anticipating a yes.

"I will. On one condition." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I want to see proof of an alliance." General Xiv-Kha said dramatically.

"Okay. On one condition. You give proof." Sola said.

"Fair enough." General Xiv-Kha said.

Sola reached into her sword's sheath. She brought out Dawnbreaker. It shone brilliantly. Sola waved it around, with Aedric Fury and Luxen's eyes following it around the whole time, their eyes shining like children. Sola was certainly flaunting it around.

"Okay, worm, put it away." General Xiv-Kha said, covering his eyes.

"You've made your point. You followed through. I'll follow through." General Xiv-Kha said.

The general walked over to a chest. He opened it, and brought out a thing wrapped in cloth. He unwrapped the black cloth, and inside of it was a massive mace. It was undoubtedly the Mace of Molag Bal. General Xiv-Kha grabbed the Mace and held it in one hand.

"There was only one way for me to match Dawnbreaker. If Meridia, or whoever put Dawnbreaker in your hands, trusted you, I can trust you enough." General Xiv-Kha said.

The general threw the Mace into the air. Vyrkyl quickly grabbed it. Lunaria, however, wanted it badly, so she pushed Vyrkyl to try to get to it, although Vyrkyl withstood the push, and, avoiding conflict, just took the pushes with no counterattack. The Mace was very large, large enough for Vyrkyl to use two hands for, and he was a rather large Dremora. Lunaria pouted over her defeat, but General Xiv-Kha decided to appease her, and he dug through his chest to find something. He brought out a Worm Cult hood and gave it to her, hoping it would stop her pouting. It did not appease her, but the gift was enough to stop her pouting for now.

"Now, with that out of the way. I promise that I will not attack Meridia's forces while in Xinryk." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Look, it's General Coloura's forces. Meridia isn't here." Luxen said.

"Right. Well, I assume that you have one other ally to make. Good luck with that." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I still find this all so strange." Ward-Scale said.

"I will say the exact same." General Xiv-Kha.

"Now, I need all of you to leave before someone decided to say something to the Master." General Xiv-Kha continued.

"And Warden Vyrkyl, and his mistress...be careful of who you decide to kill next time; you never know who might be a future ally." General Xiv-Kha said with finality, giving a bow.

The group started their trip back to General Coloura's holdings. It was still difficult to gauge just how well the two opposing factions would get along. Sola plainly saw Xiv-Kha and Coloura's forces fraternizing, but they certainly were being very aggressive with one another. She figured that fistfights were better than them slashing one another to death. If anything, that was a good sign of cooperation. It meant that both sides already had a means of communications down, and it was rather fast at passing information. So, the whole group returned to their camp stationed cozily inside of General Coloura's camp. They were all tired from the day, and ready to relax and sleep and eat.

Nerwaye seemed to have become a bit less worried at little Urcelmo being kept in magical stasis and kept inside of her backpack. Everyone noticed that she seemed a bit more carefree, and less burdened. Although she constantly talked about how she felt as if she was about to burst, and that she could not wait to have her baby back in her arms. Luxen was glad to see that she was not resorting to swadling the stasis field. With everyone back in camp, they all sat down and prepared to eat. Aedric Fury was heating up some thick, hearty stew, and that, coupled with bread, was sure to make a nice, filling meal. It sure did. The stew was mostly made out of pork and potatoes, which gave the stew the thick texture, and it was accented with carrots, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of Aedric Fury's secret spices. The bread was flat, but it was perfectly fine considering it had just been cooked on the grill. They all enjoyed the food and ate until they were stuffed. They were all careful to avoid too much alcohol, although Oldon insisted that he needed a drink.

With all of the food eaten, everyone was ready to sit back and relax. It seemed like there was nothing to worry about; General Coloura had not come to check on them, there was no sudden exodus of troops, there was no distant sound of battle. There was peace. Peace that Sola and Nerwaye were looking forward to. A time that they could spend with their parents, and that Oldon would hopefully be able to share with them. This is where it would take them. They would take down Xinryk by whatever means they could, and then enjoy life, at least for a little bit before another problem emerged. They would just try to enjoy all of the time they could get. And that extended to now.

"It is so nice to be free." Oldon said, laying on his bedroll, everyone but Sola and Vyrkyl doing the same.

"I know. Freedom is very nice." Lunaria said.

"Aedric Fury, I think you may have outdone yourself. Best meal I've had in years." Luxen said.

"By the Eight, I agree." Nerwaye said.

There was silence for a few moments. Everyone just enjoying the peace. Nerwaye decided to end the silence, sending the air resonating with her whisper to Luxen.

"Can we talk? Outside?" Nerwaye asked Luxen, who was right by her.

"Right now?" Luxen asked a bit too loudly.

"What's going on?" Lunaria asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Luxen answered.

"Sure." Lunaria said after a pause.

"Well, I think I am going to sleep. I will see you all in the morning...or whatever the equivalent is here in Oblivion." Aedric Fury said, moving to a corner in the tent and facing it, and shutting his eyes.

"I'm back." Sola said, who was gone from the tent.

Sola walked in, with a new silk nightgown on. Thankfully, she had replaced her old one, which had gotten ruined after that attempted assassination by Ward-Scales. Sola had not brought that bad blood up yet, and she hoped to bring it up when she remembered and had nothing else more important with her time. Still, Sola walked in, and sat on her bedroll. Oldon looked at her, giving a quick glance, then turning his head back to the tent entrance. Then, Sola popped right back into his head, and he looked again, more slowly this time. Why did he have to be cursed as such? Sola was right there, beautiful, friendly enough, and alone. She was lean, but not too lean. Oldon's capture really taught him to value what he held close in life. And even though he knew he had to forget about his past feelings for Sola that were in his head ever so long ago, now, after his capture and torment, he would look at Sola and see her beauty. He would never take her for granted again, and he wanted her to know that she was beautiful, and it coming from him. She had been told it many times, but Oldon wanted it to be something heartfelt from him. Oldon was able to keep enough of a sly eye on Sola, but he was so caught up in her and her fresh white nightgown that he gave a small purr. Not noticeable to most. However, Nerwaye had her eyes open now. She heard Oldon give a tiny purr, and instantly her eye twitched. Sure she wanted to talk to Luxen about personal matters, but this may just have superseded everything.

"Hey, Oldon, I think I dropped something outside. Can you help me look for it?" Nerwaye asked.

"No, it's fine. I'll help you." Luxen said.

"No. Not now." Nerwaye quickly responded, Oldon quickly getting up to go leave.

"Wait...what?" Luxen said, confused.

Nerwaye and Oldon briskly walked outside the tent, with Vyrkyl sitting outside, polishing his helmet. Nerwaye quickly grabbed Oldon by his ear and pulled him over a ways before pushing him around for a second.

"What do you think you are doing?" Nerwaye asked rather angrily.

"What?" Oldon asked.

"Don't think I didn't hear you purr when you saw Sola. That's weird. That's my sister." Nerwaye said.

"I didn't know that was out loud." Oldon said.

"It was." Nerwaye said.

There was an awkward silence.

"Can you remind me why she wears spidersilk nightgowns? I never remember this when she was at home." Oldon asked.

"Because, they're comfortable. I don't know! It's her. I don't ask questions. Don't go blaming your wandering eye on her!" Nerwaye said.

"Well, I am just saying that…" Oldon started to say.

"I have no idea what you are going to say, but I don't want to hear it." Nerwaye interrupted.

"I'll give it straight to you: I don't care how much being captured changed you. I don't care how cute and beautiful she is. I don't care about anything. I'm fine with you being friends with Sola. Perfectly fine. But she isn't ready for anything more. You pressure her into something more, and it's very possible that you'll just end up getting hurt when she realizes that she isn't ready." Nerwaye said.

"What happened to you supporting me?" Oldon asked.

"Just...trust me. Just trust me. I think that you want her body more than anything." Nerwaye said.

"I...I suppose that you have a good point. But Sola is nice to me." Oldon said.

Nerwaye gave a look to Oldon.

"And don't even look at her anymore, if that's what it takes. Not even in her eyes, because that's where she gets you." Nerwaye added.

"Let's go ask someone on this. I want an opinion." Oldon said.

"Okay. Who isn't going to spill everything?" Nerwaye asked.

Oldon pointed. Vyrkyl was still sitting, polishing his helmet, then he put it on and continued to sit outside. Nerwaye and Oldon approached him. He looked up at them, crowding his space. So Vyrkyl stood up and decided to confront this invasion of privacy.

"What do you want, mortals?" Vyrkyl asked.

"Right. You think that Sola and I are, you know, attractive, right?" Nerwaye asked.

Vyrkyl was taken aback.

"I suppose that in terms of mortals, specifically Altmer, you could classify as such. I am really no good judge; I care too little." Vyrkyl answered.

"But you know who is? General Coloura." Vyrkyl added.

"Let's not." Nerwaye said.

"What is with this asking anyways? Your mindless banter was too unimportant for me earlier." Vyrkyl asked.

"Right, so Paws over here likes the way Sola looks." Nerwaye answered.

"What?! Dare you step over me for her?! I will stomp you into the ground!" Vyrkyl yelled, nearly grabbing Oldon.

"What's with this strong reaction?" Oldon asked, leaping behind Nerwaye.

There was silence for a second.

"Are you implying that Sola is a different mistress for me than she really is? If that is the case, I will smash your head in, multiple times." Vyrkyl said.

"That's a no then." Oldon said.

"Of course. But that does not mean that everyone can be allowed to try to court her. I am taking the initiative on ensuring that only proper potential partners who meet my rigorous standards can attempt to meet her. Be considered lucky that I allow you in her presence." Vyrkyl said.

"As for you, furry boy, come back an Altmer and then we can talk." Vyrkyl said.

"You really are loyal to Sola…" Nerwaye said.

"You've been killed a thousand times and still try not being loyal. It does not end well with Sola." Vyrkyl said.

"Okay, so, problem solved. Oldon, no more, and I mean no more, attempting to look at my sister. Are we clear?" Nerwaye asked.

"And between you and I, I hold a fate worse than death for you…" Vyrkyl said to Oldon.

"I give one look to her, and you act out. But do not think I do not see how you look at the Imperial." Oldon said.

"Look, that's a lot more complicated than you think it is. No more on him." Nerwaye said.

"How about you mortals go and get your rest, and leave me be." Vyrkyl said.

Nerwaye and Oldon went back inside the tent, their disagreements temporarily sealed. Nerwaye went to sit down right next to Luxen, and she said nothing. Oldon went back to sit next to Sola, and Nerwaye was very careful, keeping her eye on him the whole time. A bit of pointless conversation surrounded the day's events. Then, Nerwaye remembered that she needed to talk to Luxen. She knew he would try to put it off, so Nerwaye was ensuring that there would be no slipping out of it.

"Hey, can we talk now?" Nerwaye asked Luxen.

"Ugh...fine." Luxen said, getting up.

The pair left. Vyrkyl nodded at them as they walked by. The two continued to go a bit out from the tent to ensure they were not bothered by any noise. Luxen knew that Nerwaye wanted silence, so he decided to take the initiative on the venture, and Nerwaye was pleasantly surprised. The two of them knew exactly what was going to be talked about, and Luxen was still dreading it. But in the end, he also knew that this whole situation was his fault.

"Hey. How's it going?" Nerwaye asked, starting things off softly.

"Fine. Just tired." Luxen answered.

"Well, I just wanted to check in and see where we stand." Nerwaye said.

"I've been thinking…" Luxen said, his head in his hands.

Nerwaye brightened up.

"But I still can't come to a conclusion yet. Sorry." Luxen continued.

Nerwaye looked downcast, then her face grew red with anger.

"Hey! Look at me!" Nerwaye exclaimed in anger.

Luxen looked up with shock.

"You owe me, a lot. Just because we didn't know each other and we were drunk doesn't change the fact that you are my child's father. I don't want him to be raised by just me. What if I die? Who will take care of him?" Nerwaye asked.

"By the Divines, Nerwaye, it isn't that I don't want to help you. It's that I am sworn into an order, and I can't have a family, or anything like that. I'm supposed to serve only Meridia, and nobody else. I can't just abandon something that big." Luxen said.

"I want you to! If you leave them, what we have will become something more. We can have a proper family, live together, raise our children. I don't care what my parents or Sola would think, I just care about my baby's wellbeing!" Nerwaye said, starting to cry in desperation.

"Wait...this has become much more than what I thought." Luxen said, almost in fear.

"I think that what we had that one night was special. I mean, look who came from it. I know that we don't remember, but I still think it was there, that spark, for a night. And today, I wouldn't even be able to find a proper husband because of my baby." Nerwaye said.

"Nerwaye, you are expecting a lot from me…" Luxen said, trying to be very careful of his words.

"Is it that you think I'm ugly? Or old? Oh...by Auri-El I knew it...I just knew it. I'm past my prime." Nerwaye said, breaking down further.

"You're not ugly, or old. It's nothing like that. It's just...it's just. Okay! Look! I know I have an obligation to you, and everything like that. But you want me to rush into something big; I'm not like that. You can't just expect me to be able to leave my old life and begin a new one overnight. I need time. I still can't promise anything, but I will promise you that I will think about it. I will make a decision, understand? I just need time. Talk to me after we're done with this whole Daedra thing. I will, and I mean I will, give you a decision. Understood?" Luxen asked.

"I understand." Nerwaye said after a moment.

Meanwhile Sola, Lunaria, and Oldon were in the tent, still awake. Ward-Scales and Aedric Fury had fallen asleep already, while the other three were still fully awake. Lunaria lay on her bedroll, reading a book, while Sola was sat down, also reading a book. Oldon had sat himself right next to Sola.

"Hey, it's good to see you again." Sola said, hugging Oldon's arm.

Warm blood ran through Oldon's body; his heart beat.

"I missed you." Sola said.

Oldon was petrified. He could not move, yet he found his arm wrapped around Sola, rubbing her shoulder, comforting her. Sola smiled and nuzzled her head closer in, and just rested there for a few seconds, letting Oldon know that she was glad he had returned. Oldon's heartbeat reached a peak, then it dropped. Then, he found himself pulling Sola away from him, putting his hands, one on Sola's back neck, and the other on her middle back, and bringing her in. He was trying to pull her into a kiss.

"Woah! What's going on here?" Sola asked, quickly reacting by pushing herself away from him.

"I...I don't know." Oldon answered, still petrified.

"Still? Still? It's been years, Oldon. I don't feel anything like that for you." Sola said.

"...I'm going to go." Sola said, feeling rather uncomfortable and leaving to find Nerwaye.

The moment of silence between Nerwaye and Luxen passed.

"Well, come on, let's go back." Luxen said, standing up to help Nerwaye off the ground.

Luxen held out his hand, and Nerwaye promptly took it for help. Luxen's strength eased Nerwaye lifting herself off of the floor. When Nerwaye was finally standing up, she readjusted her feet for better grip, but she ended up positioning them wrong, so she ended up starting to fall on Luxen. That was no problem, but Luxen had also positioned himself badly to help Nerwaye up, so when he brought her up, she was too close to him, so once Nerwaye started to fall, he had to go with her. Nerwaye clumsily fell, bringing Luxen with her. Nerwaye landed on Luxen, and their heads collided with a crack. They both lay there in pain.

"Ouchie!" Nerwaye exclaimed when their heads collided.

"Ugh...you good?" Luxen asked after a moment.

"I hope so." Nerwaye answered.

"Why do Altmer have to have massive heads and bodies?" Luxen asked.

"Ow." Nerwaye said, still in pain.

Sola came by a few minutes later. She was intent on confronting Nerwaye about what had happened with Oldon, but after seeing what had happened to Nerwaye and Luxen, she was at first intrigued, but then she realized that they were in big pain, so she went over to help them, and not go and pester Nerwaye.

"What happened? Did I interrupt something?" Sola asked.

"I fell. My head hurts now." Nerwaye answered.

"Ugh, well, I can tell you two need to talk. I think I'll just try to sleep this off." Luxen said, slowly getting up and moving towards the tent.

"Good talk." Nerwaye said, holding her head.

"Right, so how'd it go?" Sola asked after a second.

"I'd by lying if it said perfectly. But not horribly." Nerwaye answered.

"He's not going to leave you alone. You can just tell he's too good a guy for that. Don't worry." Sola said.

Sola let out a deep breath after the comforting moment.

"Well, speak your mind." Nerwaye said after hearing Sola's breath.

"Don't get offended, okay?" Sola said.

"So, I was in the tent, then Oldon tried to...kiss me." Sola said.

Nerwaye's eyes widened with anger.

"What?! I told him to keep away from you!" Nerwaye exclaimed.

"This is unacceptable, I'm going to have a word, a very stern and physical word, with him." Nerwaye said.

"Can I join in?" Vyrkyl asked, standing behind them.

"Sure. Let's go." Nerwaye said.

"Let's not get too rash." Sola said.

"I don't want to blow this out of proportion; I do that, and this whole thing that we've done ends." Sola said.

"You don't expect me to just let this slide, do you?" Nerwaye asked.

"You don't expect me to just let this slide, do you?" Vyrkyl asked, emphasizing 'me' even more than Nerwaye.

"I understand what you are doing, but just trust me. Let's leave this be for now." Sola said.

"Fine. But I don't want you sleeping anywhere near him. You're staying near me." Nerwaye said.

"I'm fine with that." Sola said.

"I'm going to have to keep a better watch. Let me know if you need him dead." Vyrkyl said.

"By Meridia, Vyrkyl, you don't need to keep this much of an eye on me. You're starting to make me think that you're going beyond your servitude." Sola said.

Vyrkyl remained silent.

"Come on, let's go inside." Luxen said, walking towards the tent.

"I can keep watch." Vyrkyl said.

The three walked into the tent, and Lunaria was there, yelling at Oldon. She was yelling so loudly that Aedric Fury and Ward-Scales were now awake.

"What in Oblivion were you doing?!" Lunaria yelled.

"I'm already going to get an earful! Spare me the lecture!" Oldon defended himself.

"You're lucky that I'm not going to burn you alive!" Lunaria continued.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Nerwaye sternly asked.

"Don't tell me that you don't know." Lunaria said.

"Okay! Okay! Look, can we just forget about this? Let's just put it in the past, and no hard feelings." Sola said.

Everyone remained silent.

Sola took a deep breath.

"Let's just forget about it. No more on this." Sola said.

The equivalent of night slowly passed by. Uneasiness still permeated the air. Aedric Fury and Ward-Scales quickly returned to their rest, while everyone else took quite a while to fully rest. Lunaria was as fiery as ever, and she needed time to cool down, which she did by going outside and sparing with Vyrkyl. Thankfully this time Vyrkyl was careful to avoid injuring her like last time, so Sola was able to expend little magicka with her Restoration magic. After that, it was time to sleep, this time with no interruption. While Aedric Fury and Ward-Scales slept in corners, Lunaria sprawled herself out over the floor, not wanting to sacrifice her comfort for the comfort of others. Luxen, as efficiently as always, settled himself into his bedroll, and was ready to rest. Then Nerwaye decided to herself down next to him. That by itself was not bad, but Nerwaye made sure to get nice and close to Luxen. It was already hot in the realm they were all in, and Nerwaye ensuring that she was nice, close, and personal, unnecessarily so, with Luxen, made him feel very uncomfortable in two ways. Not only was it uncomfortable for him to have a woman so close to him, especially one in which he was in an ever-so awkward situation with, but Nerwaye, to him, seemed to be radiating heat. That was unbearable. It made trying to fall asleep so uncomfortable to him, having Nerwaye produce more heat than Magnus itself, and not just that, but Nerwaye did have a bit of a smell to her because nobody had the chance to bathe, and the stench of sweat was on all of them. Thankfully, though, Luxen was saved. Nerwaye kept true on her promise to make Sola sleep near her, so when Sola set down her bedroll, Nerwaye shifted herself to her sister. Sola seemed to be able to put up with her heat. But the two sisters were never good people to sleep by. They constantly shifted throughout the night, rolling about and pushing one another for room. Too many times did both Sola and Nerwaye slam into Luxen during their sleep time fights. But eventually, they all had had enough rest, and then, to them, morning came. The two sisters were snuggled tightly together, while everyone else also seemed to be at peace. Luxen finally felt at rest, then, he realized that Lunaria was not where she had slept. Then, it hit him in the head, quite literally. An arm moved around and hit Luxen in the head, followed by Lunaria snoring loudly. Just like that, Luxen's chance of sleeping in was ruined; Lunaria was being too loud for him to fall back asleep. So, Luxen decided to get up.

Luxen moved Lunaria's arm off of his head, and her arm quickly twitched and tried to return to its previous position, followed by what sounded like faint sounds of Lunaria's disapproval. Luxen ignored this and went outside to get some fresh air. He was hoping that it would be like the morning, and nice and cool outside. But he was wrong. There was no rising sun, there was no blue sky, there was no morning cool. Still, Vyrkyl was outside for some reason.

"I am sure that if Sola were here, she'd say good morning. On her behalf, I give that to you." Vyrkyl said.

"What do you do all of this time? Do you even sleep?" Luxen asked.

"None of your business, mortal." Vyrkyl answered.

"Now quit talking to me before I let someone know that you consorted with Daedra." Vyrkyl added.

Nerwaye walked out, and it was obvious that she had been rudely awakened. She walked out and stood right between Vyrkyl and Luxen.

Nerwaye weakly looked at Luxen, her eyes full of sleep.

"What happened to you?" Luxen asked.

"Sola somehow gets up early. I don't know how." Nerwaye answered.

"Also, I don't feel very good." Nerwaye added.

"Magnus forbid that you use magic to heal yourself." Vyrkyl said sarcastically.

"I don't know. It's not that I'm sick, but I think that I'm just not cut out for everything that I used to. I'm so young, but I'm so old at the same time. I figured out that I'm probably no longer fertile, and I really wanted more children. Now I get an itch and hot all the time. On top of that, because I can't feed my baby, I'm getting all sore and saggy. I just want everything to return to the way it was." Nerwaye said.

"Well, considering that if everything was the way it was before this, I'd currently be fighting Xinryk, but from Molag Bal's side, not much would change." Vyrkyl said.

"I mean before that. I mean years, like when Sola and I met after she ran away. She attacked me." Nerwaye said.

"She did?" Luxen asked, surprised.

"Well, we didn't always get along well. I mean, we loved one another, but we fought too much. I got mad at her for running away, and she got mad at me. It escalated." Nerwaye said.

"You've learned your lesson, I'm sure." Vyrkyl said.

"You can't say something constructive?" Nerwaye asked.

"All of you mortals. All of you. So caught up in your own personalized world that you refuse to see what goes on around you. Your alliances are at war, and they fail to notice Molag Bal's shadow looming over Nirn. You will all die if you do not stop him. And while your very lives are threatened, you still fight one another. You are all so blind. Even you have failed to notice that what pains you so much has a solution." Vyrkyl answered.

"The spell that Sola used on me? What's the solution?" Nerwaye asked.

"Again. You were caught so much up in yourself and your enemies that you failed to notice. Molag Bal's general here, General Xiv-Kha, he recognized you. He knows you. How would he know you? He has something of yours that only two others have: you, and Sola." Vyrkyl said.

"Sola tried to get my life back, she really did." Nerwaye said.

"You are here, helping to unite enemies and bring a common foe down. You will not receive anything if you do not ask." Vyrkyl said.

"So, just go marching into his camp, get attacked several times, then ask for my life back?" Nerwaye asked sarcastically.

"You think that you can be given something freely? No. You must show that you deserve it. And you will, you will. When we finish our work here, you will demand your life back. Claim how you have earned it, and perhaps you shall receive." Vyrkyl said.

"Well…" Nerwaye started to say.

"No more words. No more words today." Vyrkyl said.

Sola poked her head outside the tent.

"So, I think that it's time for breakfast." Sola said.

Vyrkyl remained outside, but meanwhile, everyone else ate breakfast, ready for the actions of today. They fortified their bodies with a hearty meal of boiled eggs, bread, sausage, coupled with some fruit. Afterwards, they all prepared to go to battle, to venture on towards Mehrunes Dagon's claim of Xinryk. They all prepared their arms and armor, and then they all exited their tent, and prepared to go General Coloura to ensure everything was ready to go.

"General, we are here." Sola said as they walked into General Coloura's tent.

"So I see. I received word that Molag Bal's general, General Xiv-Kha will cease all unwarranted hostilities in Xinryk. Good job." General Coloura said.

"We also have proof of an alliance." Ward-Scales added in.

"Well, I already believed that there was an alliance for the time being, but show me." General Coloura said.

Vyrkyl walked forward. He reached onto his back and grabbed the Mace. The sight of it was enough for General Coloura to react.

"Okay. I don't need to see any more of that." General Coloura said, disgusted by the Mace of Molag Bal.

"Anyways. As you know, you need to find Mehrunes Dagon's general's camp. I was...pleasantly surprised with how easily General Xiv-Kha allied with us, but I would not expect the same from whoever Dagon's general is." General Coloura said.

There was nothing left to be said.

"Right. So, whereas General Xiv-Kha was close to us, Dagon's general is rather far away. As far as we can tell, Xinryk is a triangle, with two factions at two sides close together, and the other far at the other corner. Well, get on it." General Coloura said.

Again, the journey started. The group of eight moved out into the badlands of Xinryk. The highlands they had previously been to were much less intimidating and much more traversable. But, now they were heading an entirely different direction that previously. Now, they traversed plains that were as dark as night, the ground burned to a charred black, and the faint sounds of screams in the background. This was a land so cursed, that nobody would venture there. And, above all else, the Tower loomed in the background, seemingly staring at everyone as they moved.

"By the Eight. This place feels...empty." Luxen said.

"I felt like this the whole time during my capture." Oldon said.

Meanwhile, Nerwaye was crying a few silent tears as she was forced to walk through this brutal environment.

"This feels like home." Vyrkyl laughed.

"There certainly is evil around, I can tell you that." Sola said.

Luxen kept on walking, keeping his eyes straight forward, as always. But then, he had the irresistible urge to turn to his left. He knew that Nerwaye was right there, probably bravely walking forward as he was, but still, his heart told him to turn and see what was happening to her. He fought the urge for several seconds, as he was afraid of the motif of this sudden urge, but it was too much for him to bear. He looked to his left, and Nerwaye was right there, her head facing the floor, watching her feet slowly drag along the floor, and tears dripping onto the charred ground. Luxen was rather heartbroken by this. He thought about the reason for this sudden change in emotion. He thought that maybe she was in pain, or the utter damnation of the land was affecting her. Then, his mind flew right to what he thought might be the most logical cause for this outbreak of emotion: what he had said to her earlier. While all this happened, nobody paid any attention to the two of them; everyone just had their eyes set forward, marching.

Luxen decided to comfort Nerwaye, at the very least to make her feel better and make him feel less guilty. He slowly shuffled his way to Nerwaye's side, and she was starting to slow down, the emotion being too much for her to handle. Then, she saw Luxen by her side. That, by itself, was not much, but then, all of a sudden, he put his arm around her hips and gave her a hug. Nerwaye's emotion peaked. No longer would she be silently crying. She pulled Luxen into a full hug and let her tears go.

"Thank you...thank you." Nerwaye said as she cried.

"It's just that I...I miss him so much." Nerwaye continued.

At this time, everyone had stopped in their own tracks.

"And...thank you...you've helped me so much." Nerwaye said.

"Is there something wrong?" Sola asked with genuine concern.

"It's just that I miss my little baby." Nerwaye answered.

"How long until you think we reach where we need to go?" Lunaria asked.

"When we do." Vyrkyl answered.

"Don't worry. Just this, and then the final stretch. Then we'll all be out of here and then living our own lives again." Sola said.

"I know...it's just that I want to be greedy and live my own life for myself." Nerwaye said.

"Well, we really aren't solving anything by standing around. Come on, let's get out of here." Lunaria said.

The journey continued. After a few more hours of torturous, cursed terrain, they emerged from the dark, black plains. At this point, it was easy to see where Mehrunes Dagon's camp was. There was a massive black pillar of smoke that was emerging from the horizon, and the sound of explosions in the distance. That either meant a fight or a camp. Either way, the group would get to wherever they wanted. So, they walked towards the pillar of smoke.

A few hours later, they reached the pillar of smoke. There, several Dremora were cleaning up the bodies of other Dremora. Thankfully, these were not Xinryk's soldiers. These Dremora had clean armor and weapons, but that did not mean there were going to be friendly. The group hid in some nearby rocks as the discussed their approach plan.

"Well, it looks like this is what's here." Sola said.

"We've walked very far today. I hope the camp is close." Aedric Fury said.

"I'm sure it is." Luxen said.

"We need a plan. I don't think that approaching those Dremora is going to be taken as a friendly act." Sola said.

"Vyrkyl, do you have any plan?" Sola asked.

"Hope that I do not cut them to pieces." Vyrkyl answered.

"Okay, what about an actual plan?" Sola asked.

"I do not deal with the Daedra of Mehrunes Dagon. I have no idea of how they operate." Vyrkyl said.

"Well, we need to find out." Sola said.

"We can just try to be taken as prisoners to the general." Lunaria said.

"Well, anyone have any better ideas?" Sola asked.

"Then that's what we're going with." Sola added.

The group marched out from behind the rocks. They were seen quickly, and, just as Sola had expected, and how everyone knew was the worst case, the Dremora were preparing to attack. The Dremora soldiers charged, and the group fled back into the rocks from where they came.

"That didn't work." Sola said.

"So I see." Vyrkyl said.

"Now it's only a matter of time before they kill us." Ward-Scales said.

"Well, what's the plan now?" Nerwaye asked.

"I have a violent one." Vyrkyl said.

"Let's try to stay away from it." Luxen said.

"Coward." Lunaria said.

"Just trying to keep up all safe." Luxen said.

"Honestly, I'm willing to do what needs to be done." Oldon said.

A short planning by Vyrkyl later, the group prepared to ambush the advancing Dremora. The plan that Vyrkyl had hatched seemed to have some kind of logic to it. The plan being that they ambush the soldiers, and then leave one alive, and have him lead them back to the camp for negotiations. Basically, the plan was to feign capture for their benefit.

The group was waiting for the Dremora. Luxen, Aedric Fury, and Vyrkyl stood right by what looked like the most probable entrance. They were standing, ready to slash at the first enemy that passed by. Of course Aedric Fury and Luxen looked very strong and ready to kill, and they were. But Vyrkyl was on a whole other level than them. This was because Vyrkyl was a killing machine, and it was his life. Whereas the other two stood there with their sword and shields Vyrkyl had his massive greatsword in one hand, and he looked notably more calm than his companions. While those three were ready to attack in melee range, Ward-Scales had climbed onto the rocks above where the Dremora were likely to enter. He was there, attached to the rocks, ready to drop down and unleash Siphoning magic. The three women, Lunaria, Nerwaye, and Sola were placed high in the rocks, ready to bombard the Dremora with magic. Oldon had his own special place. He was a notable distance away from the other group of melee fighters. This was because Oldon and Sola had a good synergy in terms of magic; Sola would use storm magic, and Oldon would intercept it and amplify it, and the move was capable of causing a lot of havoc.

"How long until they come?" Lunaria asked Sola and Nerwaye.

"Hopefully soon. I have to pee." Nerwaye answered.

"Hey, you two little sisters, I see you two using storm magic all the time. Which one of you is the better with it?" Lunaria asked.

"Hm...did we ever test that out?" Sola asked.

"I'm probably the better storm mage." Nerwaye said.

"You're not bad. But you're not as good as me. I have a much better talent in magic overall. I think that translates to all types." Sola said.

"We need a way to test it out." Lunaria said.

"What about that cat? How good is he?" Lunaria asked.

"Um...he's okay. I wouldn't call it normal storm magic. Normally that kind of magic uses up your magicka. From what I know, his magic is based off of his strength." Sola said.

The two sisters continued to argue about their storm magic. Meanwhile, Lunaria smiled as the two sisters seemed to be fighting over their combat potential. As it turns out, the term 'better' was relative. Nerwaye's storm magic tended to have a higher amperage than Sola's. Meaning, whenever Nerwaye released a shock spell, it was very dangerous. However, Sola's shock spells had higher voltages, so she could charge up her spells quickly. In addition, Nerwaye's storm magic does direct current, opposed to Sola's alternating current. So while Nerwaye packed a much bigger punch, Sola obviously took several twists to her magic giving it a unique amount of utility.

"See? Look at this. If you were to try to do this, you'd kill yourself." Sola said, sending lightning between her two hands.

"My magical potency for storm magic is massive." Nerwaye said.

"I have a much larger magical potential for storm." Sola said.

"Hey, you two mages, my master gave me this really cool thing. It points the same direction no matter what." Lunaria said, pulling out a strange device.

"Quit shooting magic around!" Vyrkyl yelled as Sola continued to shoot magic around her palms.

"Don't say that to me!" Sola yelled.

Sola shot out a bolt of storm magic to Vyrkyl. Meanwhile, Lunaria was still looking at her 'magical' device. She noticed that as Sola shot out the storm bolt, the device moved a bit.

"Wait...this thing moved." Lunaria said.

"Do it again." Lunaria added.

This time, Nerwaye let out an even stronger bolt, and Lunaria again observed the same phenomenon.

"Why is this going on?" Lunaria asked.

"Okay, girls, can we please keep it down?" Luxen asked.

"Girl? I'm a woman. You'll find out soon, I'm sure." Nerwaye said back.

Luxen felt too uncomfortable to say anything else.

"By the Three...I feel like there's something important about this." Lunaria said, still amazed at her observation.

"We hear you, mortals!" A Dremora yelled.

Everyone returned to silence. They waited until Mehrunes Dagon's Dremora took the trap. They did. They were all far too proud to wait around, and they would not be put to shame by the fact that they could not kill enemies because they hid. One by one they went through the tight crevice that led them to where the group hid. Right when they entered, Luxen was there to bash them with his shield, and while they were stunned, Vyrkyl would follow up with a massive attack with his sword. To counter this slaughter, the Dremora started to follow one after another, leading to what seemed like an endless amount of enemies to the group. In addition, the few Dremora mages started a magical bombardment into the little arena. The women, however, would do the same. So, while the men of the group were slaughtering the emerging Dremora, the women were creating brilliant displays of magic, only to launch them off and slam them into the ground elsewhere. For two hours, the fight went on and on. Then, the fight just stopped. It seemed as the Dremora had chosen to retreat.

"Damn, we didn't grab one of them. I think we just have to search." Sola said.

"Well, no point in waiting around. Let's move." Vyrkyl said.

"I'm...I'm...I think I'm out of shape." Luxen said, barely able to stand after having to slash so much, and holding his right arm.

"Aw. Let me help." Nerwaye said.

Nerwaye leapt down from the perch that her and her fellow women shared. She landed on the slope, and slid down on her back. It worked well and painlessly until the end, when she hit a small bump, which caused her to start rolling, and Nerwaye rolled quite a bit, hurting her a bit in the process.

"Oh. Ow. Not what I wanted." Nerwaye said, sitting at Luxen's feet, holding her face.

"Let me show you how it's done." Sola said, about to try again for her sister.

Sola leapt off the ledge, but she was held back. Lunaria had caught her by the back of her dress, and was now holding her. It was surprising that Lunaria could even do this, considering the fact she was only using one hand.

Sola screamed, assuming it was some Dremora holding her.

"I have one shot…" Vyrkyl said, preparing his sword to throw.

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Luxen said.

Lunaria laughed as she pulled Sola back to safety.

"Did you hear how you screamed?" Lunaria laughed.

"That's not funny." Sola said, her face becoming pink.

"Just jump down. I can catch you." Vyrkyl said, walking over, his arms open.

Sola jumped down, and was caught by Vyrkyl, who quickly set Sola down to prepare for Lunaria. Lunaria then jumped down, but Vyrkyl decided to walk away, getting revenge on her for her earlier prank. Thankfully, Aedric Fury had been watching, and he caught Lunaria.

"That wasn't funny." Aedric Fury said.

"Neither was holding Sola off of a cliff." Vyrkyl added.

"Two wrongs don't make a right." Aedric Fury said.

"A wrong and a right still doesn't make something right." Vyrkyl added.

"Aw. Nerwaye, let me see what's wrong." Sola said, rushing over to Nerwaye.

Sola moved Nerwaye's hands from her face, to see how badly she had been hurt from her slide. It was not bad at all. Just a few scratches; nothing that could not be healed with magic.

"I'll fix you up. Don't worry." Sola said, hugging her sister.

"Thank you." Nerwaye said.

"What about me?" Luxen asked, Sola healing Nerwaye.

"What's wrong with you?" Ward-Scales asked.

"My arm hurts." Luxen answered.

"Sounds like you need a woman." Vyrkyl and Lunaria both said.

"Well then…" Luxen said, not amused.

"He has one." Nerwaye said.

"What?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Okay, let me heal you." Sola told Luxen, going over to him to heal his arm.

"So, you are leaving the Order then." Aedric Fury said, obviously saddened.

"No...Well...Look...Okay…" Luxen tried to say.

"It's okay. Tell them." Nerwaye said.

"What am I supposed to say?" Luxen asked, sitting down next to Nerwaye, Sola still trying to awkwardly heal him.

"The truth. This is only between you and him." Nerwaye said.

"Okay. Okay. Look, when I went to Cyrodiil to fight for the Dominion, I found someone. Someone special to me. She was beautiful. She had green eyes, thick hair, light gold skin. She was tall, ample, and very nice to me. What we had was special, that one night. And what came of it was a child. I broke my vows to the Order that night. And I willingly did so. For me, life was too short to go around and limit my potential in the name of Meridia. So, I'll say it. I'm leaving the order to go and raise my family, and to provide for them. I owe them that much." Luxen told Aedric Fury.

"So I see." Aedric Fury said.

"The girl was Sola, right?" Lunaria asked jokingly.

"It was me." Nerwaye said.

There was silence from Aedric Fury.

"I thought of you as a brother. I thought we would be inseparable. I really did. It seems as if I was wrong." Aedric Fury said.

"I would say that I'm living up to my mistakes, but something tells me that this wasn't a mistake." Luxen said.

"I understand. A woman is worth more than your service to Meridia. We all have freedom to love who we do." Aedric Fury.

"Look, I'm sorry. I really am. But what am I supposed to do? Just leave Nerwaye out on her ass, raising my child, as I'm out in Cyrodiil? I can't do that. I won't do that. You're just going to have to live with me gone from the Order...as if there was even an Order left to go to." Luxen said.

"You're not asking the hard questions! What about the Planemeld?! You and I know what is happening to Nirn, and if we don't stop it, we're all going to become slaves of Molag Bal! You are becoming selfish, which is the last thing I expected from you!" Aedric Fury yelled angrily.

"This is the opposite of selfish! I'm giving up what I want to do, for something I need to do!" Luxen yelled.

"Do you want to have a family with Nerwaye, or do you need to have a family with her?!" Aedric Fury yelled.

"Hey! Leave her out of this!" Sola yelled.

"Fine. Both. I want to have a family; I'm ready for one. I also have an obligation to her." Luxen said.

"You have an obligation to stop the Planemeld. We all do…" Aedric Fury tried to say.

Nerwaye got up.

"I'm not holding this in any longer." Nerwaye said as she walked over to Luxen.

Nerwaye threw off Luxen's helmet and kissed him. Nerwaye pulled him close for a long set of kisses. As this happened, tears came down from her eyes, happy at the decision that Luxen had made. Now, Nerwaye would no longer be alone, and now, she could have a proper family with a proper husband. The two stood there, kissing, for a few minutes.

"Aw…" Sola said.

"Just like that, years of rites, thrown away." Aedric Fury said.

"You made the right decision." Nerwaye said, ending her final kiss.

"I didn't want to tell you yet. But I made the decision." Luxen said.

"Hey, I love you." Nerwaye said with a smile.

Luxen stood, petrified.

"That's...nice." Luxen said in fear.

"You'll warm up to it." Nerwaye said with a final smile, moving away.

Luxen cleared his throat.

"Well, let's move on. No point in wasting time." Luxen said.

"Um...right. Yeah, let's move on. Places to do and things to be." Sola said.

The group uneasily moved on, careful of Dremora soldiers. Thankfully, there were no soldiers left. Still, there was a notable amount of tension between Aedric Fury and Luxen. Whether it was spawned out of Aedric Fury's want to have his own family, or because Aedric Fury truly believed that they needed to end the Planemeld was still to be seen. However, as they walked along, Sola noticed that Nerwaye was getting very close to Luxen. Sola knew it would still be making him uncomfortable. Still, Sola was happy for Luxen and her sister, on how they had finally come to some kind of agreement or compromise.

A few hours later, the romantic and aggressive tension of the group had notably died down. This was good, because they all wanted as little conflict as possible as they saw Mehrunes Dagon's camp in the distance. The camp was, as they expected, big. The group carefully moved closer and closer to the camp without being detected. Eventually, however, they were noticed.

"What is this?" A Dremora asked, having seen a group of eight people sneaking around.

"Well, you caught us." Ward-Scales said.

"I certainly have." The Dremora said proudly.

"Take us to your leader." Sola said.

The Dremora carefully lead the eight others around the camp. He was afraid that if he did not handle the situation correctly, he would be killed by them, or by his general. Either way, he was in trouble, seeing as he had not disarmed his 'capture'. So, he made his way to the general's tent, and let the eight in.

"Don't say that I was here." The Dremora said, running off.

"Mortals!" The general yelled, grabbing a sword.

"Hold on!" Vyrkyl ordered.

"We are here to negotiate." Sola said.

"Negotiate what?" The general asked.

"You know that Molag Bal and Meridia have fighters here, right?" Sola asked.

"They do? Well...I suppose that would be a good explanation." The general said.

This general certainly looked rather normal when compared to Xiv-Kha and Coloura. Whereas General Coloura looked knightley, with white armor and weapons, long hair, and bright eyes, and pale skin, and certainly looked as if she should command Meridia's forces in Xinryk, while this general did not look like a commander. General Xiv-Kha certainly did not look the part of a tough Dremora general, mainly because he looked as if he should be a thief of some kind; he wore relatively light armor, and had two daggers at his side, and his helmet was not the hard metal helmet that most Dremora wore. But this general of Mehrunes Dagon looked as if he should be a soldier. He was armed with a massive axe, and was in full heavy armor, and he did not look patient, kind, or in any way generous towards others. He looked more similar to Vyrkyl than the other generals.

"We're here to negotiate a truce between you, General Xiv-Kha, and General Coloura. They are the generals of Molag Bal and Meridia." Sola answered.

"I am here to end a feud that Mehrunes Dagon has with Xinryk. I am here to bring victory for him, and I would be lying if I said there was nothing personal in it for myself." The general said.

"That's not an answer…" Nerwaye said.

"No." The general quickly answered.

"Okay...okay...what's your name?" Sola asked, not willing to take no as an answer.

"General Hazryn." General Hazryn answered.

"Okay, general, why don't you want to help us?" Sola asked.

"First: I don't like Molag Bal. Second: I especially don't like Meridia. Third: I don't like mortals." General Hazryn answered.

"I'm sure that Molag Bal's general said the same thing." Sola said.

"Fine. You want a better reason? Mehrunes Dagon had his ass handed to him by three mortals turned to gods. That was something public among mortals. What about when mortals, Daedra, and Aedra alike find out about Xinryk? Is this not enough? What would happen to my master if everyone were to find out just how weak we are right now? I need to show that we are still strong. And I will. I will make up for the failures of my fellow generals. And I will be the one who finally strikes down Xinryk. It is my burden, and mine alone. But just like that, all the glory will be mine. I will not let anyone else have the glory, or see why this has happened." General Hazryn said.

"Um…" Oldon said.

"Well...it seems as if I've given away too much. Now, you must die." General Hazryn said.

Vyrkyl instantly tackled the general and punched him several times.

"No killing today!" Vyrkyl yelled as he slammed down on General Hazryn.

"What! Get off of me, lesser creature!" General Hazryn yelled.

"I don't know. Vyrkyl, I'm not feeling it today. Just kill him." Sola said.

"You kill me, and I have no way of getting back here! I need to be alive!" General Hazryn said.

"Well...I mean...I can let you live. If you really want." Sola said.

"If I die here, when Lord Dagon finds me in the Deadlands, I will be through a fate far worse than anything you can ever think of." General Hazryn said.

"Is that really supposed to convince me? What are you going to do for me?" Sola asked.

"I don't have time for this!" Lunaria said.

Lunaria ran over to General Hazryn and pulled off his helmet. Lunaria then grabbed her staff and started to beat his head with it.

"Stop it, mortal! Lest I destroy you!" General Hazryn ordered.

"Watch it, mortal. If you hit me, I will kill you." Vyrkyl warned Lunaria.

A few more minutes passed by, with the general refusing to give in.

"Oh, come on! Just help me! I'm here begging for help, and you won't help!" Sola said, nearly crying.

"Never." General Hazryn said.

"Well, I'm done holding you down." Vyrkyl said, getting out the Mace of Molag Bal from his side.

"Is...is that the Mace?" General Hazryn asked.

"What do you think?" Vyrkyl asked.

"Okay. Fine. You want an alliance? I'll give it to you." General Hazryn said.

"Good. Lunaria, Vyrkyl, get off of him." Sola said.

"If I am wrong about you, I will ensure that the Mundus is tortured forever." General Hazryn said.

"I will help you simply because I want victory for Lord Dagon." General Hazryn continued.

"Look, I've heard a whole two other of these. Just give me something as proof." Sola said.

"Um...very well then. I have, for you, Mehrunes' Razor." General Hazryn said, pulling out the Razor.

"Give it to me!" Lunaria yelled, snatching the Razor.

There was an awkward silence.

"So...how does this work?" General Hazryn asked.

"I don't know. I'm sure that the other two will find a way to contact you." Sola said.

"Well, let's head back." Sola said to her group.

The group headed back to General Coloura's holdings. They had left on a rather awkward note with Mehrunes Dagon's general, but they had walked so long and far, that they were tired. Then, several hours later, when they finally arrived back at their tent, they were all very tired.

"Well, good night." Sola said, wrapping herself up in her bedroll.

"I thought I saw you arrive." General Coloura said, barging into the tent while everyone tried to sleep.

"We're tired. Can we do this tomorrow?" Sola asked.

"I just want to confirm that General Hazryn is in our alliance. He sent word through a scout who followed you back." General Coloura said.

Sola blankly stared at General Coloura, with her eyes barely open.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Tomorrow's the big day...well, we don't actually have a good concept of time here...I see you want your rest; I'll leave you be." General Coloura said, leaving.

The time of rest would be well received and needed. It still had not impacted them all yet, that they were going to go and end this threat now that they had united the enemy factions. The group still failed to notice how important it would be to have the three armies present in Xinryk brought together. United they could win. But, thankfully, they had not all become excited yet. Had they, the whole group would have been unable to sleep, and they would likely be bouncing about in their tent, waiting for the hour to fall.

During the night, everything progressed normally. While the sleeping arrangements were still a bit awkward, hopefully they would not need to use them again. Aedric Fury slept in one corner, while Oldon slept in another, while Ward-Scales was in another corner. Of course, nobody knew where Vyrkyl went during these rest hours. Then, the rest of the group was piled up into a sizable pile of bodies. First, there was Luxen, who was far too hot to sleep in his bedroll. Then, right next to him, the reason why it was too hot for the bedroll, was Nerwaye. Luxen and Nerwaye were sleeping rather closely to one another, and right next to her dear sister was Sola, who was still trying to keep some distance away from Oldon. Then, Lunaria had managed to find her way over to the growing pile of resting people, and now, the back of her head was resting on Luxen's hip. While they all slept, Nerwaye had a dream, the first in a long time. She had a dream about her little baby, and how he would have a father after this was over. Nerwaye remembers having said a few words to her baby, but, that all came out as mindless whispering to Luxen, who appeared to be the recipient of Nerwaye's mindless night ramble.

Then everyone was rested and they woke. Aedric Fury fed them all with a final breakfast before they continued their fight. It was a breakfast of fruit and honey-sweetened porridge. It could have been more filling, but the food was cooked perfectly. After that, it was time to move out. By this time, nobody had access to bathing. Everyone smelled quite a bit, and one of the things that Sola was looking forward to was bathing. Everyone had oily hair on their head, and dirt on their bodies, but that would not hold them back. The group, armed and armored, headed for General Coloura's tent.

"Good morning, mortals." General Coloura said, greeting the mortals right outside her tent.

"Okay. Let's go." Sola said.

"Well, we can't just leave without plans. I need to fill you in. The two other generals and I had a long discussion about the plans. Thanks to your effort, we were able to devise a flawless plan for collapsing this...incursion." General Coloura said.

"Inside the tent." General Coloura said.

The tent contained General Xiv-Kha and General Hazryn. They were discussing something. That something was on the table. There were three maps, each of different parts of Xinryk. One contributed from each side. Combined, they were a full map. On the map were small markers representing forces of each army. The tent was dimly lit, and certainly the generals were getting a bit angry at one another.

"What's been decided on?" General Coloura asked in Daedric.

"Not much." General Xiv-Kha answered in Daedric.

"I don't think they want us to hear this." Vyrkyl told Sola.

"You can hear it." General Coloura said.

"We're discussing about how to attack." General Hazryn said.

"We only have one chance at it, and I'm not sure if we can even do it. My scouts said that the interior is very heavily defended." General Coloura said.

"Then collapse the Tower!" General Hazryn said.

"It's not that simple." General Xiv-Kha said.

"To fill in our mortals, we've decided that we are going to attack through what is called The Path to Revenge. It's a pass that should take us right to the Tower." General Coloura said.

"What's so important about that tower anyways?" Ward-Scales asked.

"The Tower of Xinryk is an object that magnifies magical energy, and transcends your understanding. It is a place that is opposite of the Adamantine or White-Gold Tower." General Hazryn answered.

"Ah, yes, the White-Gold Tower. I wonder how Molag Kena is doing. Well, I hope." General Xiv-Kha.

"You know, I don't rub in the fact that your invasion failed in Orsinium." Luxen said.

"Off that subject. The Tower of Xinryk is something that transcends logic and knowledge." General Hazryn said.

"Why'd he get it then?" Nerwaye asked.

"Ask Lord Dagon yourself. I don't make these decisions!" General Hazryn explained.

"Anyways…" Vyrkyl said.

"Anyways, after we go through The Path of Revenge, that leads us to the 'interior' of Xinryk. I wouldn't call it an interior, but it's basically an elevated plateau on which the Tower sits. My initial expectations were that it wouldn't be heavily defended, or at least as much as we know it is." General Coloura said.

"Because it wouldn't make sense to defend your nexus." General Hazryn said.

"We need to fight through the interior. That's a rather daunting task. But after that, it's still not the end. We have the last challenge of ascending the Tower. And from there, and only there, can we attack Xinryk." General Coloura said.

"And, mind you, Xinryk is a Daedra, which means he cannot die like a mortal. He will only return." General Xiv-Kha said.

"We're still working on that one. But basically, there's a skeleton of our plan." General Coloura said.

"Um...well...it seems to work." Sola said.

"These plans always sound better than they actually are." General Coloura said.

"How many people total do we have?" Aedric Fury asked.

"I'm not saying in front of these two." General Coloura answered.

"I must say the same." General Hazryn said.

"I was all willing to say, but I suppose now I am not." General Xiv-Kha said.

"This isn't going to work unless you work together." Nerwaye said.

"She does have a point…" General Coloura said.

"Fine, mortal. We can put aside our differences. For now." General Hazryn said.

"I asked you to do that when you agreed to this." Sola said.

"We aren't getting anywhere standing around. I can get my troops to the pass in a few hours." General Xiv-Kha said.

"You should be grateful that I devised this plan. Thankfully I already had my soldiers moving towards the pass." General Hazryn said.

"Okay then. I can gather my forces and we can move out." General Coloura said.

"It's time then." General Xiv-Kha said.

The three generals left the tent and prepared to leave with their massive armies. A mage of General Coloura was kind enough to open portals for the other two generals so they might quickly reunite with their armies. The three still did not fully trust one another, but they would be forced to cooperate to end this threat. And if all else failed, they could at least collapse Xinryk, and fight among themselves for the realm. The bright, white, Meridian army of General Coloura, in shining white Daedric armor prepared to march towards The Path of Revenge. The black, massive army of General Xiv-Kha, inspired by Molag Bal, marched forwards to the Path. The Daedra of steel armor and fire made its way to the Pass. Each army had its own siege weaponry and supplies. They had their own arms and armor and banners.

The group made their way behind General Coloura's forces, closely following them to avoid getting lost in the unforgivable terrain of Xinryk. It was, however, rather difficult to keep up with the elite Daedric forces. Hours passed by as they marched. In Xinryk, there was no night and day cycle, so it was hard to keep track of time. However, as they all converged upon the Tower, the light that permeated all of Xinryk started to fade; it grew darker and darker, while that mystical Tower ascended the sky. Everything grew dark, and now, the knights of Meridia were left to light the way with holy light. They were descending upon The Path of Revenge.

"They've stopped. Let's see what's going on." Sola said.

Sola had a ball of holy light with her, lighting the way, following how the other soldiers were creating light. The group worked its way up to General Coloura, who was at the forefront of her army. General Coloura stood there, with a ball of holy light floating above her palm, her brilliant hair and eyes shining from the equally brilliant light.

"I assume we're here." Sola said.

"We are. We are." General Coloura said.

"Where's everyone else?" Sola asked.

"We were the closest ones to the Path. Let's hope they get here soon; I'm not starting without them." General Coloura explained.

"We've been here. You should know that Meridia is especially not welcome here. And shining lights is a good way to be detected." General Xiv-Kha said.

General Xiv-Kha stepped out of darkness, with a group of elite soldiers he commanded. It certainly was a rather fearful moment for General Coloura, who had reached for her sword. In addition, several of her soldiers had stepped over to defend her.

"Stand down. We're allies. For now." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Where's your army?" General Coloura asked.

"Hiding. Without lights. The last thing we want to do is get ambushed." General Xiv-Kha answered

"Well then. Maybe I'm trying for intimidation." General Coloura said.

"I'm sure you are." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Well quit creeping around and bring your army and hope that we don't kill one another." General Coloura said.

"I see you have tried to take command. Let's see how that sits with the other Kyn." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I'm not taking command." General Coloura said.

"Yes. Yes you are. Just admit it." Oldon said.

"Well, if we could just leave, I could fish up some Aldmeri commanders. I've talked to a few of them, and they're usually nice, so…" Sola said.

"Look. You're just here to help. Don't try to take control." General Coloura said.

"Be careful about your words. They might make you find yourself in the Colored Rooms." Vyrkyl warned.

"I will be back here shortly." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I want my officers to prepare their squads for battle." General Coloura told an assistant.

"Mortals, now we play the waiting game." General Coloura said.

An hour later, General Xiv-Kha arrived with his forces. They silently moved in. It was surprising to General Coloura and the mortals, considering that the Planemeld was most certainly not as quiet as this. General Xiv-Kha assured them that he was not like the Planemeld generals, and that he operated differently. There still had to be separation between these two factions of Daedra. Still, there was a bit of infighting between the two, as hard as they tried to keep themselves separate.

"He should be here. What's taking him so long?" General Coloura asked.

"I suppose that General Hazryn likes being late to his battles." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Every moment that we wait here, the more likely that we are going to be detected." General Coloura said.

"As if we haven't been already. White armor and bright lights do not bode well for stealth." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Then so long as we can get this over with quickly." General Coloura said.

"Hm. Where are those pesky mortals?" General Coloura asked.

"We're right here…" Sola answered, sitting on a rock by the generals.

"Oh, good. Go to the top of that cliff and see where in Oblivion General Hazryn is." General Coloura ordered.

The group marched up to the top of the cliff they were told to go to. The Demiplane of Xinryk was stretched before them, with the dark magical potential of the Tower warping the natural light, causing the sky to look like a dim sunset. Then, Vyrkyl spotted who he immediately knew were General Hazryn's soldiers. In the distance, there was a small orange light that grew more and more intense as it came closer. That one light became several. Then, the individual soldiers and siege engines became visible. Whereas General Coloura and General Xiv-Kha had only Dremora and Xivkyn in their ranks, General Hazryn utilized all Daedra at his disposal. While Dremora soldiers marched with orange flames in torches and on the tips of staves, massive flesh atronachs towed the siege engines, all while scamps rode the atronachs and siege engines. In addition, bright red flame atronachs floated about in the ranks of the Dremora. All in all, the bright flames of General Hazryn's army shone off of their gray armor. They maneuvered their way to the entrance of the Pass, alongside the other armies.

"I found them." Sola told General Coloura after the army had already arrived.

"Right." General Coloura said.

"Fellow Kyn-in-arms, today we collapse Xinryk." General Hazryn said, approaching the mortals and the other two generals.

"Gather the armies. We will talk to them one last time before we attack." General Coloura said.

The three massive armies gathered up as one. It seems as if they were all setting aside their differences, even though they likely all hated one another. White and gold, black as night, and steel and red all combines into a collage of soldiers that would not be easy to forget. General Coloura stood center, her helmet in her right arm, and her sword in her left. General Xiv-Kha stood to her right, two daggers in his hand, and his helmet on, as always. General Hazryn stood to her left, a staff in one hand, and a sword in the other. Meanwhile, the whole group of mortals and Vyrkyl stood a bit off to the side of the center rock that everyone was at, although Sola was soaking up quite a bit of attention by standing near the generals. The four of them, ready to depose Xinryk, and addressing the new army that numbered so many, so many that they stretched far beyond counting quickly.

"My soldiers. My fellow Daedra. Today, we end Xinryk's attack on Mundus. We will charge into his Tower and destroy him. From there, the mortals will be safe from him." General Coloura started to say, although there was quite a bit of disagreement among the soldiers.

"Kyn! Today, we will right what was wronged. Xinryk wrongly attacked Coldharbour, and now he will pay with whatever we can take from him. Be it his immortal life, or his realm, he will lose it all. We will…" General Xiv-Kha tried to say, there still being disagreement.

"Let me handle this." General Hazryn said.

"My fellow Kyn! Today, we will destroy Xinryk and his treachery! He has assaulted the mortals! He has attacked Molag Bal! He has shamed us! There is no redemption! I was sent here by Lord Dagon himself to destroy him, and destroy him I shall! There will be no survivors, and there will be nobody left to tell the story! Xinryk spoke of ascending the throne of Lorkhan, and he will not! His effort stops today! He will not ascend us or the Aedra! We will ascend him! He will become nothing!" General Hazryn announced, the crowd starting to cheer.

There was silence when Sola did not speak, seeing as everyone expected her to.

"Speak." Vyrkyl told Sola.

"Um...Daedra, of all backgrounds and Princes, I came here to save my friend. And I have saved him. But while here, I noticed just how badly this situation had deteriorated. I…" Sola tried to say.

Sola lost all words to say.

"Um…" Sola said, nervous.

"Take the credit." General Coloura whispered.

"I have united you! I have brought you together! I will knock Xinryk from his throne! With the power of Meridia, Molag Bal, and Mehrunes Dagon, we will forever curse him! With Dawnbreaker, the Mace, and the Razor, we have the power to destroy, and destroy we will! As of this day, there will be no more Xinryk. My brave soldiers, march forward for honor, for glory, and to destroy this abomination!" Sola announced.

The crowd started to cheer rather loudly at Sola's words.

"Um...sorry. Something overtook me." Sola told the group as she reunited with them.

"Well then, into the pass." General Coloura said.

The massive force of united Daedra moved into the Path of Revenge. As one, they marched. In a continuous flow, they poured into the pass. All while the Tower loomed in the background, causing color to fade everywhere but at the brilliant spot in the center of the magical focus. The marching continued until the allied Dremora forces met resistance.

They all knew it was going to happen, and better sooner than later. At this point, the generals knew that they had likely been spotted by scouts, and that Xinryk's forces would be amassing. Xinryk would have the advantage while in the Pass; his soldiers knew the terrain, and they had the advantage of being able to position themselves above, to rain fire upon the advancing allied Daedra. The two groups met. At first, there was no fighting, rather, just the stalwart white soldiers of Meridia at the front, their white armor still managing to shine brightly despite the Tower's power. General Coloura's frontline soldiers were prepared to take the first hits from the rustily-armored and scrappy soldiers of Xinryk. While the Meridian soldiers stood in formation, their shields set out front, and their swords prepared to strike, Xinryk's Dremora stood, with their greatswords, axes, and maces at their sides and resting on their shoulders, preparing to charge. Meanwhile, while the bulk of the Daedric Princes' forces were in the Pass, Xinryk had archers and mages lining up at the top of the canyon that formed the Path to Revenge, ready to attack the enemies below. Then, they were all prepared for battle, and each side was ready to attack, but there was a calm before a fight. A calm that permeated the battlefield-to-be. There was no talking, there was no joking, there was nothing but the silence of war that had descended onto the two factions. The silence became unbearable, and one of Xinryk's soldiers finally spoke.

"Turn around! Turn around and leave! This is your only warning!" A soldier of Xinryk announced.

There was no response.

"Then death will come." The soldier said with finality.

Xinryk's soldiers readied their weapons and prepared themselves. Upon seeing this, the frontline of Meridian soldiers strengthened their formation. There was a final moment of silence before a soldier of Xinryk gave the order to charge. The charge started. The whole of Xinryk's present force moved forward. The frontmost lines gave a full sprint into the waiting Meridian knights. Metal collided with metal. The weapons of Xinryk collided with the shields of Meridia. The first blows had been blocked. From there, Meridia's shield bearers thrusted forward with their swords, right into the chest of Xinryk's frontline. However, their armor protected them from a fatal strike, and now the frontlines were caught in a state of deadlock, and there would be no escape.

There had to be a way to break the deadlock. Both sides knew the conclusion was to use mages and archers to break the frontline. So, the skilled archers and mages of Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon prepared to fight. The archers shot their first volley of arrows into the opposing army, hoping to kill as many as they could. And while Xinryk's army lacked proper weapons and armor, their grit and sheer will to win would let them take the barrage easily. The mages prepared their attacks. By having multiple mages link up together and synergize their spells, they were able to create artillery barrages of fire, shock, and frost. They too fired into Xinryk's army, with fire and shock magic filling the sky, and the deafening booms of explosions occurring constantly. But just as the three Princes had a plan, so did Xinryk.

Xinryk had the tactical advantage due to his better positioning. His archers and mages were able to get easy access to the vulnerable ranks of the enemy archers and mages. Equally as strong magical artillery fell down, and arrows scattered the battlefield. However, while this went on, the frontline of melee troopers was still locked in a deadlock. With brutal combat occurring here, it was by no means safe, and with magical explosions occurring on the frontline, friendly fire was common. Also, know both sides were starting to bleed their reserve troops due to the artillery and arrow barrages. However, the three Princes were going to lose more soldiers more quickly than Xinryk due to their disadvantage. Thankfully, both sides had solutions to the casualties: Cauterizers. General Coloura and General Xiv-Kha deployed their cauterizers. With orders to heal the wounded and support the frontlines, they were now high priority targets. While the bright white robes of Meridia contrasted with the dark robes of Molag Bal, the two types of cauterizers on that side were still able to work effectively and operate competently due to their tendency to work solo, and simply because the side knew what was at stake.

As mages created incredible balls of magic, and archers nocked arrows in their bows, and swordsmen slashed and stabbed at one another, the cauterizers were there to channel healing magic. This substantially improved the lifetime of a soldier on the battlefield, even one with only Daedra. But still, the army of the three Princes was bleeding numbers due to their disadvantage, and they had to find a solution quickly. The first and obvious solution was to destroy the flankers atop the ridges. However, due to their position so far below, it was nearly impossible to send arrows or a magical barrage up to the ridgeline. With the trivial solution deemed unviable, the three generals had to create a new solution quickly.

"We need a solution to the enemies picking us off." General Coloura told her fellow generals.

"My atronachs are not too good at landing strikes so far up." General Hazryn explained, as he had come up with the trivial solution.

"I was hoping that you'd be able to pull through with your solution." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I'm seriously stumped on what to do. I mean I can't just let us take the punishment. I would recommend that we just have some soldiers scale the wall, but I'm not sure if we can do that." General Coloura said.

"General Coloura...I have my own group of Dremora that I have trained. They're trained to operate in stealth and covert scenarios. I can get us up there." General Xiv-Kha said.

"How do you plan to do that?" General Hazryn asked.

"Climb. Simple as it sounds. From there, you push down as many of those enemy fighters as you can, right down into our men." General Xiv-Kha answered.

"Let me know, and I can do this." General Xiv-Kha added.

"You have the go. Gather up your men and execute the plan." General Coloura said.

"But...bring the mortals." General Coloura added.

General Xiv-Kha gathered up a few members of his personal guard, and then several soldiers that he came across. Then, he had to hunt down the group of mortals. After he did that, he led them all up to a sheer face of the cliff, in a spot where they had already passed by, to avoid taking any attacks.

"Why'd you want us here again?" Ward-Scales asked.

"In our current push, we're facing substantial resistance from the tops of the canyon. We need to clear out the top. We will climb up, then eliminate them. I'm not worried about kill conformation or anything, and in fact, I'd prefer that we just send them off to their death below." General Xiv-Kha explained.

"Hey, you know what works really well here? Aedric Spears. Just send them flying off." Sola told Luxen.

"I guessed that." Luxen said.

"I would suggest frost or crystal magic, for any of you who know how the environment works." General Xiv-Kha added.

The climb started. The magical anomaly looming in the distance disrupted portals, so they had to take the long way Using a few grappling hooks and raw strength, the climb started. It was not safe, but they had no other solution. It was a long and arduous climb up, but thankfully they had not been spotted by any enemy Dremora. After they had scaled the dark grey, sharp rocks, they examined their position above the battle. They saw the red-hot firebombs impact the canyon below, and how the color was sapped from them after they impacted. The sound of metal colliding with metal, and the sound of thunder booming. They all stood on the fine gray silt that topped the canyon that was the Path to Revenge. And they looked as the Tower's magical anomaly sapped color from around them. How around the final singularity, bright white light radiated in all directions, causing it to appear as if it was Magnus with a dark hole in it. All while, Sola looked right at the Tower, ready for revenge. Despite the lack of color elsewhere, her eyes continued to shine their same bright green.

"So bleak. It's that thing." A Meridian mage said.

"Sola, everything else is void of color, but you still have green eyes. I don't even know why." Luxen said.

"It's the sign of a strong mage; she can resist the magic. I'm sure you'll notice that a few of the mages have the same occurrence." General Xiv-Kha said, joining in personally.

"Come on. The faster we move, the more lives we can save." General Xiv-Kha added, moving out.

They trailed the edge of the cliff. The archers had to remain close to the edge to keep a line of sight, and the mages generally accompanied the archers. It was good for causing damage, but it also meant that they were vulnerable to being knocked off the edge. This is what General Xiv-Kha was trying to exploit. He personally led the group to knock out the flankers. They approached to be in close combat, where they had the best chance of knocking others off the cliff and into the battle below. This was, of course, very risky because it put both sides at risk, so at that point, it was a matter of surprising the enemy. However, General Xiv-Kha was a master with stealth, so infiltration was no issue. After an hour, they all had groups positioned throughout the pass, ready to push down the flankers whenever the time was right.

This plan hinged on the Princes' army still being able to push forward. While the first few groups could be dealt with, the majority were still in parts where there was no battle yet. So, the elimination of the first few groups would have to create a chain of events that would allow the united generals to push forward. Thankfully, that is what happened.

General Xiv-Kha gave the order by ordering Sola to give off a brilliant flare of blue. The magical blue flare soared into the air before it exploded with a bright flash. The display of color was an obvious sign. The closest groups that were attacking the Dremora below were quickly pushed down into the battle. What happened is that after the groups in hiding saw the signal, they sneaked up as closely as they could before unleashing all power they could muster. This ability varied per soldier, but shieldbearers and Templars held an obvious advantage. Shieldbearers had their massive shields to slam others down into the battle, and Templars had an analogous advantage. A Templar could easily summon a Spear and toss it through an enemy, and get them to fly off the edge, or they could easily pressure them even closer to the edge through waving their Spear around in close combat. There were actually a surprising number of Templars in the battle. While Luxen and even Sola thought that the idea of a Templar had been limited to Magnus-praising mortals, it turned out to be a much broader term. Of course, Luxen was a follower of Meridia, and he was most certainly a Templar. Sola was a bit of a different one, due to the fact that she had no real formal training, and she was self-taught, and that and her love of magic made her evolve more into a dark Templar. But, several of the soldiers from General Coloura were Templars who were adept in many of the same arts as Luxen and Sola. In addition, there were a few of the Dremora from Molag Bal who had perverted the idea of a Templar, and they had essentially developed to be a dark Templar; they were essentially the same as normal Templars, but utilized different takes on the common Templaric magic, and adding in a few of the more apocryphal hedge schools of magic.

With the first few groups of Xinryk's flanking plan pushed into the raging army of Dremora waiting below to tear apart Xinryk's soldiers, the amount of effective casualties that Xinryk could inflict here had been cut. Due to that, the cauterizers could focus less on helping the injured reserve units, and rather they could work their way to the frontline to help the immediate frontline. In addition, General Coloura's shieldbearers had proved themselves to be very competent at holding back the frontline of Xinryk, to the point where a few of the men on the very front were still fighting. The sudden injection of fresh troops and cauterizers into the frontline caused Xinryk's forces to suffer a disadvantage. Xinryk's commanders had the decision to either stay to the last breath and fight, which would eliminate a sizeable amount of their defense forces, or start to retreat. They chose to start to retreat, and by doing that, they hoped they could minimize their casualties, and maximize the enemy casualties by leading them through the line of fire of their waiting archers and mages.

However, General Xiv-Kha had already planned for this, so when the slow falling back of Xinryk's soldiers started, whenever the advancing forces passed by one of the flanking units above, the special task force assigned to taking care of them did so, causing the attempted flankers to be consumed by the unstoppable Daedric force. From there, the battle spiraled out of control even more quickly. Without any support, Xinryk's forces could not even hope for a victory short of a miracle. So they were left with the choice to cause a full retreat, which they did. Xinryk's uninjured forces ran back as quickly as they could. They left behind everything they did not need, which mainly amounted to wounded and lesser Daedra. The wounded Dremora of Xinryk were promptly executed without mercy. And with that, the battle had been gloriously won decisively. However, the battle at the Pass was but the beginning.

"Victory. Good job, both of you." General Coloura said to her fellow generals.

"No problem." General Xiv-Kha said.

"How were our casualties?" Sola asked, a bit out of nowhere.

"High. But that was to be expected; we were in an unfavorable situation. They could have been worse, however." General Coloura answered.

"We are going to be in unfavorable situations the whole time, so get used to it." General Hazryn added.

"Well, let me know what we're up against." Sola said.

"Again, not something favorable. Currently, we're actually only halfway through the Path to Revenge. Xinryk fled to he could regroup. He's planning to converge on us as we try to enter the Nexus of Xinryk." General Hazryn said.

"I guess he loves the sound of his own name." Vyrkyl said.

"Very much so." Oldon said.

"The Nexus is where the Tower is located. While it's on the same plane and terrain as this pass, when we actually exit the pass, it opens up to a circular area that's surrounded on all sides by the plateau we're going through. Right in the center, on high ground, the Tower is located. Of course, the simple version of our plan is that we need to to to the Tower, and from there, our strategy changes again." General Hazryn said.

"Of course, easier said than done." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Much." General Hazryn said.

"We'll be attacked as soon as we enter the Nexus. From all sides, including from atop the plateau, and I expect that Xinryk has learned on how to avoid a loss like last battle, so I expect that he won't keep units close to the edge." General Hazryn said.

"Unless he expects us to expect that." General Xiv-Kha added.

"Our best choice is to rely on four groups. Two above the Nexus around the cliffs, going around in the Nexus to take out the units stationed up top. The other two are going to have to be tough, and push through the Nexus in a circle, each one going the opposite way, and then meeting up. From there, we can have our upper groups start to siege the Tower, while the lower groups storm the high ground leading to the Tower." General Hazryn said.

"Dare I ask what we are waiting for?" General Coloura asked.

"We still need to discuss troop distributions." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Right you are. General Coloura, I need to have your shieldmen stationed at the front of the two lower groups." General Hazryn said.

"I really hate to sound stingy, but I took the most casualties while in the Pass. I can't just continue to bleed like that." General Coloura said.

"Quite honestly, your troops are best for the frontlines. I can get a few cauterizers to back them up, if that is what you need." General Hazryn said.

"It's not that I'm not willing to contribute, but I need forces to command still." General Coloura said.

"I understand. So long as they don't kill them, I can send in some of my close-quarters units." General Xiv-Kha said.

"That is appreciated." General Coloura said.

"General Coloura, I will not expect you to contribute to the upper groups. As if right now, my atronach squads and General Xiv-Kha's units will be able to handle the upper groups. Once we attack up there, we can provide support to below." General Hazryn said.

"I guess we can just fill in the rest of the army with a combination of soldiers." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Exactly. I am aware that General Coloura has the smallest force at her disposal, but so long as she continues to provide a strong frontline and competent cauterizers, I think that is enough contribution from her." General Hazryn said.

"Thank you." General Coloura said.

"Also, your troops are volatile with mine. Mixing them is not too good of an idea." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Well enough tactics I suppose. Time to get a move on and execute this." General Hazryn said.

The victorious group advanced forward. In victory they reveled, but they were all unaware of what was yet to come. Had they not all been enjoying their recent victory, they would have noticed that the land was becoming more and more bleak as they moved into the interior of Xinryk. The ever-so apparent magical singularity atop the Tower was becoming more and more radiant. After an hour more of marching, the Path to Revenge was finally coming to an end. They could see the end, and the beginning of the plateau that held the Tower of Xinryk. However, just as visible were the soldiers who were dedicated to defend their land.

The fight started; there was no need or want to discuss more tactics beforehand. Right away, General Xiv-Kha's soldiers started to eliminate the enemies who were ready to attack the main attack force. However, this time Xinryk had learned from his mistakes, and now the mages and archers were protected by other Dremora soldiers.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the three generals' forces began their assault on the level ground. They split into their two units, ready to go and push in both paths of the circle to win. However, there were plenty of Xinryk's soldiers to go around, and it would not be an easy fight.

The battle had become a time-based fight. The battle hinged on whether or not General Xiv-Kha and his chosen fighters could eliminate the flankers up top. The longer that they could launch fire and arrows from their elevated position meant that the troops below were vulnerable. In fact, the soldiers of the three generals were at a disadvantage, and a sizable one at that. Alongside not knowing the terrain, their enemies were firmly anchored into the ground and they were ready to attack in a moment's notice. So, all that the main attack force could do was hope that their upper division could eliminate the resistance that was sieging them, which gave an added disadvantage. Until they upper battle was run, the main assault would be bleeding numbers.

The three generals, however, had made a sizable blunder. They had sent in all of their forces to fight. So while they had two divisions, each accomplishing a different objective, one objective would lead to success of the other. Until one objective was completed, the majority of the forces would be at risk. What the generals could have done was sent in their upper force to take the preparing flankers while they had no forces in the interior to lose. However, now they were fully committed to a fight, and they could not withdraw without taking more losses; it was better to bleed more than to try and stop the bleeding.

While the incredibly violent fight between Xinryk and the generals proceeded in the expected way below, the fight to save the battle had already begun. The three generals had sent a larger force to deal with the flankers, knowing that Xinryk had learned from the last battle. So, when the Daedra of the three generals came marching, their enemies were prepared to fight.

The fighting was more intense than anyone could have predicted. Because Xinryk had already been pushed to the interior, he was now forced to fight with all power and effort he could call up, or he would be defeated, and he would not have that happen. In addition, the three generals had overestimated the amount of forces that Xinryk had at his command, so from the way it looked to Xinryk, there was an endless supply of willing Dremora who wanted to strike him down. So while the generals were at a disadvantage, Xinryk also thought he was. However, neither faction was willing to back down, so the fighting escalated instead. As Xinryk was pushed back, he defended himself like an animal, while the others were intent on ending this crisis, and they would not be wavered by the feelings of their Daedric brethren, and would be willing to strike them down.

This is what determined the battle in the plateau of the interior. As General Xiv-Kha and his soldiers marched, they again pushed their advantage of being able to push. By encircling their enemies, then pushing towards the edges of the cliffs, Xinryk's soldiers were forced to either be cut down or to plunge to their deaths below. So, by employing this simple tactic of surrounding the enemy, General Xiv-Kha was able to quickly win his part of the battle. With the upper ring of soldiers eliminated, the battle below could progress without being at the disadvantage of being attacked by flankers, and rather being able to fight with the assistance of flankers.

With the fight at the top of the interior settled, General Xiv-Kha and his soldiers set up for a siege. They towed in all manner of siege weapons to bombard Xinryk's soldiers and the Tower from their vantage point. Of course, siege weapons were rather expensive and relatively difficult to operate. So, for short range, short range being defined as the battle occurring below them, Molag Bal's surprisingly resourceful general used his mages as artillery. This was a common tactic, but it always helped to preserve siege weapons and the ammunition used in them. Of course, far away targets such as the Tower were far outside of the comfortable ranges of most mages, so, there General Xiv-Kha employed his siege weapons.

With the battle above quickly being won in favor of the three generals, it was obvious that the battle was starting to turn below. With a lack of resistance from the canyon walls high above them, to new assistance from the walls, the soldiers in the true interior of Xinryk were able to fight efficiently. Still, the problem of uprooting Xinryk's bunkered down soldiers still remained. They had been ready to fight, and they were not giving ground. In the end, no amount of soldiers that the generals could muster up would be able to bring their enemies out of their entrenched positions. Because of that, the Meridian frontline was taking significant punishment. To break this deadlock, the mages atop the canyon walls were utilized to punish the stationary frontline of Xinryk, and force it to disperse. With massive fireballs and pulses of lightning, Xinryk's frontline of his elite soldiers was broken. More died than fled. Much more. The Meridian frontline, however, had been given orders to withdraw.

General Hazryn and General Coloura both knew how much of the frontline fighting that Meridian soldiers had done, and by no means were the soldiers ineffective. Of course, the amount of fighting meant high casualties. And while generally in a Daedra versus Daedra war, that would not matter so much so long as the defeated Daedra had enough time to reform in azure plasm, and other related substances, the effective numbers of a given Prince was easily limitless when compared to that of a race of men. However, in Xinryk, this was not the case. Due to the magical singularity atop the Tower, which had been formed shortly after Sola and the group had arrived back in Xinryk, portals were unreliable at best, and fatal at worst. In addition, the singularity's powers only became more and more evident as distance between it decreased. While far away from it, namely before the massive plateau that the interior of Xinryk sat on, the singularity only really disrupted the sensitive portals, as it got closer and closer, the effects changed drastically. Now, the singularity was sapping color from everything in the interior, and it gave the landscape a dull, drab grey color instead of the normal brown and steel.

So, with reinforcements unable to find their way to Xinryk to rejoin the battle, all three generals were left with limited numbers, something that they had some experience with, but not much. However, the three generals were able to put the fact that they were not prestigious and honored generals at the top of their field, thus with less troops to command, to their advantage. They used the fact that they always had to deal with a lack of soldiers, supplies, and logistical inaccuracies to create an advantage in their otherwise disadvantageous situation. And, General Coloura being able to pull her frontline was a good example of her conserving her soldiers, as they would be needed to storm the Tower.

To reinforce the withdrawn frontline, General Hazryn sent out his flesh atronachs. While being physically more imposing, the atronachs were at a disadvantage due to a lack of intelligence. Still, with massive claws and bodies, the flesh atronachs were able to tear through lines of Xinryk's soldiers, which was enough to push an advantage. Taking advantage of the flesh atronachs that were rampaging within Xinryk's forces, the three generals' forces pushed harder against the frontline, compacting the already tense forces of Xinryk.

This spelled the end of the battle. With arrows and magic flying about in all directions, Xinryk's force could not withstand much more. With massive flesh atronachs hitting the frontlines with all their force, and mages shooting magic down onto the backlines, there was nowhere to go but start to retreat. Had the battle gone a bit more in their favor, they could have evacuated their forces correctly, however, due to good planning and luck, the three generals were able to cut off the escape of Xinryk's soldiers. The plan of escape was to ascend the plateau and ascend the Tower for protection. But due to the aggressive push of the three generals and overall bad positioning by Xinryk's forces, Xinryk's forces had been pushed out of reach of the slope that led up to the Tower. So, now they were left with only one response: kill as many of the enemies until they died.

In a valiant final stand, the remainder of Xinryk's forces left outside the Tower were attacking for their lives and livelihood. But their courage came far too late. The killing blow was struck. There was no more protection against the mages and their artillery strikes, or the raving flesh atronachs. One by one, the final defenders outside the Tower fell. And when the last one fell, the eyes of everyone turned to the Tower, with the magical singularity still floating above.

The siege started. It would have been a very bad idea to go and storm the Tower instantly. Inside the Tower remained the last of Xinryk's organized forces. The best way to take them out while avoiding brutal close-combat was to siege the tower. Here, General Hazryn's siege engines came in handy. With trebuchets and catapults, the Tower was attacked. The whizzing of firebombs and explosives permeated the air, and the smell of it was present. The three generals stood in a quickly set up tent, discussing the final tactics. There, Sola and her band of companions showed up.

"Last push, I guess." General Coloura said.

"I know we are asking a lot from you, but I need you to send your soldiers in first." General Xiv-Kha said.

"...I can do that, but only on one condition: I don't send my healers into the fight. I need you to send yours among my soldiers." General Coloura said.

"Cauterizers? I can do that." General Hazryn said.

"Okay. Just promise me that whatever happens, their souls will be released." General Coloura said, talking about her eliminated soldiers.

"I promise." General Hazryn said.

"What's the plan?" Sola asked, stepping into the tent.

"The only apparent one. We're sieging to soften it up, but the Tower isn't exactly easy to destroy. In the end, we have to ascend it. That involves brutal close combat which we would all like to avoid." General Hazryn said.

"We need to clear it, floor by floor. It won't be easy, but I imagine that Xinryk himself lies at the top." General Xiv-Kha said.

"You are right." General Hazryn said.

"Is there anything that we are waiting for?" General Coloura said.

"Once we all get some rest, we will prepare to storm." General Xiv-Kha said.

Tense hours passed by. The intent was that the soldiers who were going to storm the Tower would be able to rest, but with the constant explosions and anxiety of death, it was impossible to rest. The generals had intended it as a time for them to also rest, due to the relative simplicity of this plan, and the stress of not knowing what lied inside the Tower. The generals, however, would get no rest. And neither would the group of mortals. Eventually, the time had come. The Tower was radiating a bright red heat where it was impacted by siege weapons, but the red was sucked up into the singularity.

The frontline approached the entrance. Massive doors of polished marble marked the entrance. With one rung on each door, the flesh atronachs would have to pull them open, and from there, the frontline had to hope not to fall into a trap, which they already knew they were going to do. The doors were decorated with pictures of the eventual ascendance of Xinryk, and as they all looked at the massive pictures taken as prophecy, flesh atronachs pulled the doors open, and into the hands of Xinryk they were delivered.

When the doors opened, the frontline of the generals saw before them a massive force that was ready to fight. There was no code of honor now. There was no waiting for the first arrow to be loosed, or the first spell to be charged. Now, there was only the final fight for life. Xinryk's last bastion unleashed their arrows and spells upon the generals' frontline. The frontline took massive casualties, but there would be no giving up now, not when they were this far in. General Coloura's remaining forces were being injected in very rapidly, to where she had no more to send in. There was no getting past this initial blockage, until General Xiv-Kha had a plan.

"I don't have anyone else to send. There's nobody." General Coloura told General Hazryn.

"I have an idea." General Xiv-Kha said.

"What is it?" General Hazryn asked.

"It may be a bit...extreme, but my soldiers are loyal, and willing to do anything. And every second that goes by just means less chance of us winning. So, I will execute this plan. I have a soldier of mine right now, who is getting prepared. Alongside her is a mage who is binding her very essence with a spell that will cause her Daedric soul to burst and cause massive damage. In addition, the mage is binding her with invisibility, for her to easily sneak behind enemy lines." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Whatever it means to win, I guess." General Coloura said.

"How long until she detonates?" General Hazryn asked.

There was an incredibly loud explosion that dominated all others, including the siege engines. Everyone grew silent as they felt the Tower and Xinryk shake. After the moment of silence, however, the new frontline prepared to see the damage caused. It was tremendous. Not a single survivor among those in the ground floor of the Tower. The Daedra turned to ash and dust. There would, however, be no standing around to stand in awe of the power of a soul unleashed. As quickly as they had stopped, the Dremora started to move again, reinvigorated to fight.

The slow ascension started. Room by room, they had to fight, and it was brutal. By clearing each and every floor and room, the three generals learned what the Tower was. The Tower was not a place meant for war. Inside were rooms of art and refinement. Regardless that the art was of Xinryk and his dreamed ascension, the art was still fine. There were libraries and lounges. This place was not meant to be a place of war, it was supposed to be the cultural heritage of the demiplane of Xinryk. But now, the advance of the three united generals had made it become a place of war. As the siege engines below fired upon the tower, the fine art and books were destroyed in consuming flames. Xinryk's soldiers had to resort to using the finery around them as tools of war and self-defense. There were no survivors, and there would be no surviving record of Xinryk. As the soldiers fought their way up, the reserve units destroyed everything.

The fight took a week. A week of straight ascension to the top of the Tower. There was that much resistance. By the time that the top of the Tower had been reached, and all of Xinryk's soldiers had been destroyed, all but five of General Coloura's soldiers had been killed in battle. General Xiv-Kha and General Hazryn were lucky to still have a few hundred soldiers left. A week straight of fighting had taken a toll on the Tower and on everyone. The remaining soldiers were all tired. There was no more siege weapon ammunition, but the only thing keeping them going was that they were finally at the top. For a whole week they had not seen the sky, even the corrupted version on Xinryk. General Coloura had kept the mortals nice and well rested for this final encounter, so while they were in shape, the rest of the force was not.

The door to the top opened. The demiplane seemed so much more energetic from the top. But something had changed: the singularity. It had gotten bigger. While still nobody knew the point of it, it did not seem good. Despite the monochromaticity of the past week, when they emerged to the top, color returned. And even more bright than ever. The group of mortals marched up first, followed by the select few and surviving soldiers of the three generals. Before them all, on the other side of the top, stood Xinryk himself.

"I see you have come." Xinryk yelled from the other side of the Tower.

"You fools! How many have you lost?" Xinryk continued.

"Even with all of your remaining forces, you still cannot fight me! I have more power than all of you combined!" Xinryk said.

"Ah, and who is this? The one I let go from my grasp." Xinryk said to Oldon.

"Look at every single one of you. We have three failed generals who have lost all but a few of their soldiers. We have a runaway, a stalker, a coward, another coward, an oathbreaker, a slut, a traitor, and a deviant." Xinryk said.

Xinryk walked towards the middle of the Tower, and so did the rest of the people on there. There, final words could be exchanged before the final blows.

"How pitiful. All of you." Xinryk said, staring specifically at Sola.

"White armor turned to a scratched grey and red. Where are your soldiers? General of Meridia?" Xinryk asked General Coloura.

"Oh failed general of Molag Bal, how I have waited to see just how much your master cared about revenge." Xinryk continued.

"Hazryn, it has been far too long, and I see that again you face humiliation." Xinryk said.

"Ward-Scales, lizard, why are you even here? Do you really think that your alliance wants to know about this? They would rather kill the other alliances than survive." Xinryk said.

"Little Lunaria, pregnant at sixteen, and an outcast of society. Imagine how your parents and sister think about you right now…" Xinryk taunted.

"Fury of the Aedra, I think it is plain as everything that you are not their fury. You are their fear. You stand here now, hoping that another will join what he has left." Xinryk said.

"The Chosen of the Storm, so it seems. If only you had truly been chosen." Xinryk said.

As Xinryk taunted everyone, Sola was getting rather angry, and she was having trouble keeping composure.

"Sanctified Light, you have left your order to pursue physical pleasure. Something I hope you realise is that she is too much trouble." Xinryk said.

"Warden, you have left the strong to join the weak. I applaud you; so few would be so idiotic." Xinryk continued.

"What have we here, slut? A child with you? A child born of scandal. And now you want him back. He never wanted you." Xinryk said.

Sola was about to burst in anger. Her face glowed a bright red.

"The leader of the little group of misfits. I hope you enjoy failure, followed by death." Xinryk said.

Sola backed down. She lost her courage at the wrong time. And now, she stood there with nothing to say back.

"All of you are so worthless. You have come this far. Now, I prepare to unleash my realm upon yours. With my final spell, this singularity of magic shall consume all. All planes of Oblivion, and all souls, and in that world, I will be the supreme ruler." Xinryk said.

"You are all broken. You are all weak. That is all there is left to say." Xinryk said with finality.

There was one final silence that permeated.

"I'm not done." Sola said, regaining her courage.

"Ah, my favorite. Do tell me what you want." Xinryk said.

"I will not allow you to do this." Sola said.

"What does it matter to you? In the end, you still die, even if it is years down the river." Xinryk said.

"There's more than just me." Sola said.

"Now you see." Xinryk said.

"I thought like you...once. I was a good Daedra, as good as one could be. Then I thought of what Mehrunes Dagon did for me, and then I realized that it was nothing I couldn't take for myself." Xinryk said.

"Miss Auroron, if I may say, take the power." Xinryk said.

"But it is far too late for that. You had your chance." Xinryk said.

Sola struck out with a shock spell. She was overtaken by something. Something that led her to become a different person. There was no explanation other than it just happened. Now, she had assaulted Xinryk.

"So be it, mortal. You and I shall duel to the death." Xinryk said.

Xinryk pulled out his axe and swung it, right into Sola's ribcage. Blood shot out of her, and she was in great pain. She quickly conjured up restoration magic to try and heal herself. The pain was great, but it was bearable. Seeing her friends taunted like this, however, was not bearable.

Sola struck back. She pulled out her staff and let loose a fireball, which Xinryk promptly took full force, and was unwavered. He stared at her for one final time.

"It seems as if this has not gone as well as you wanted. Allow me to reset." Xinryk said.

But a second later, Sola found herself with Xinryk about to strike her with his axe again. She had no wound, however, and Sola was able to narrowly dodge the strike. Sola then followed up with a shock spell to stun Xinryk.

Sola had been hoping that Xinryk was like a normal Daedra, and could be temporarily banished, but that was not the case. Xinryk had ascended within his own plane, and normal tactics would not work against him.

The fight went on and on. Sola was putting all of her heart and effort into her spells to try and eliminate Xinryk. With her shock, light, and Templaric magic, she attacked. Xinryk, however, shook off everything as if nothing had happened. He seemed invincible in the eyes of mortals. He made no effort to attack Sola directly, rather he just approached her and watched her retreat to a safe distance, only to attack again.

Sola breathed deeply, her pool of magicka running low.

"Where are your friends when you need them?" Xinryk asked, taunting.

"You're trapped us behind a magic barrier, you fool!" Vyrkyl yelled, slamming his fist on the magical barrier to try to help his master.

"I am invincible. Now, there is only one thing left for me to do." Xinryk said.

Xinryk grabbed Sola by her neck, and lifted her to face his face. He stared into her green eyes, as tears fell from her delicate face and onto the floor.

"Death approaches." Xinryk said with finality.

Sola would not die. Not now, not ever. She had the will to live. Deep within her, there was a stirring, and it called to her. She embraced the desire. The magicka within her blood replenished. Her body started to tremble and shake as magic overtook her body. The power of Daedra and magic overtook her body, and gave its power to her. A lifetime of training, years of effort and practice, and aptitude had unlocked the secrets of magic to her. Now, in her darkest hour, she could access her full potential. Sola gained a holy white aura, and she radiated energy. Feeling refreshed, she pulled Dawnbreaker from her side, and with a shout, she released herself from Xinryk's grip.

"You have unlocked the true potential of magic, Sola, but there is still more to learn." Xinryk said.

There were no words from Sola. She charged, with Dawnbreaker in her two hands, and she swung low, and Xinryk evaded, careful of the holy blade. Sola then ended her swing early, and quickly cut up, infusing holy fire in her blade, to push Xinryk back farther. After that move, Sola stabbed forward. Xinryk caught the blade in its path. He held it there with his left hand, the armor not pierced, but his armor starting to glow at the point of impact.

"Meridia will not help you here. No Aedra, no Daedra will ever help you. There is only you." Xinryk said.

Sola burst in rage, and she started a relentless assault, Strike after slash, she attacked, Xinryk avoiding all of the attacks nimbly. Then, he prepared to strike with his own. He quickly knelt down and swept Sola with the staff of his axe, tripping her.

"As I said, there is no help from others." Xinryk said, his axe prepared to behead Sola.

Sola unleashed a ball of light, blinding Xinryk and burning his armor. Sola quickly rolled away and got right back onto her feet, ready to fight.

"Above me is an anomaly of magic. It grants power to all who accept. Sola Auroron, embrace it. Embrace your inner darkness!" Xinryk yelled.

Sola knew she could not win at this rate. Even with holy power granted to her, Xinryk proved to be too strong. There was another calling to her, one that she had accepted a few times before: darkness. Daedric, vampiric, and dark magic was known to her, and with their powers, she could unleash even more power. The magicka-radiating singularity above enticed her, and eventually overwhelmed her. Sola floated right above the ground, her bright aura turned to a void black, and with a scream, dark magic flowed through her veins. Dawnbreaker turned to be black as night, and became corrupted. Sola had truly been unleashed.

"Yes, Magna-Sola, I see who you are! Come, fight, successor of Magnus!" Xinryk yelled, charging to Sola.

Sola dashed out of the way, her feet still not touching the floor. She followed up with a brutal one-handed strike to Xinryk's back. Xinryk turned around promptly to follow up with a strike of his own, but Sola stopped him in place with magic and attached a dark beam to siphon his energy. Sola screamed as she received the magicka, but Xinryk used his own power to cut the beam off.

Xinryk then attempted to grab Sola to keep her pinned down for a beating. But Sola quickly detonated her dark aura and sent Xinryk flying. Sola then teleported to him and did an upward slash for damage, then, when Xinryk stood up, Sola nimbly bounced off of him and charged. Xinryk rolled out of the way, and when he stood back up, Sola sent a high amperage lightning bolt through him.

"You have reached your pinnacle of power. Remember this." Xinryk said.

"Your reign is over, Xinryk." Sola said.

Xinryk attacked by running to the middle of the arena. Sola regenerated her dark aura, and charged too. In the center, she set a dark ritual to aid her, and then she attacked with Dawnbreaker while in the ritual. Xinryk blocked all of her strikes, but then Sola summoned a Daedric Spear. She feinted with Dawnbreaker in her right hand, then swung the black spear to Xinryk's side. She then detonated the spear, setting him off balance. From there, Sola followed with a nasty two-handed slash on Xinryk's chest. His armor had been cut from Sola's strikes, and she was getting close to stabbing him for a final kill. Xinryk had to watch out now.

"All of this power. Look at you." Xinryk said.

"No talk." Sola said.

Sola detonated her dark aura, sending Xinryk flying back. Sola again teleported to him and this time stabbed him relentlessly when he was on the floor. Still, Xinryk stood up, this time notably injured, but still alive.

"You have bested me. The power of Darkness is too much for even me. Enjoy your victory. Finish me. But know this: there is always another way." Xinryk said, kneeling to Sola.

Sola prepared her dark Dawnbreaker for a brutal finisher. She prepared a two handed strike. She coiled her arms close to her right shoulder, and stood in a left horse. Sola closed her eyes, in preparation for her final strike. Sola let out a final breath and stabbed Xinryk. When the blade pierced him, Sola channeled her power, to sap all life out of Xinryk. Using her experience in Daedric magic and Siphoning, she drained his power to ensure his demise, so that he would be weak when he reformed.

Sola opened her eyes. Before her was not Xinryk with Dawnbreaker in his chest. He was standing right there in front of her, and in front of her was an endless plane that was pure and plain, the natural glow of Aetherius permeating.

"Well done. Well done." Xinryk said, clapping his hands.

"I killed you. Where are we?" Sola asked.

"We are inside of your mind. It is as vast as I thought. You have real potential, Magna-Sola, I knew it from the moment I saw you." Xinryk said.

"I'm not Magna-Sola, whoever that is." Sola said.

"You are. You are now. Or you always have been." Xinryk said.

"You have transcended mortality." Xinryk said with finality.

"Excuse me?" Sola asked.

"When you struck me with that corrupted Dawnbreaker, and then siphoned my energy, you went a bit too far. You took my soul. I am no mere Daedra, Magna-Sola, I am much more. You put me into your blood, and from there, I passed to you my legacy: Xinryk. You and I are now one." Xinryk said.

"I don't believe you." Sola said.

"You will. You will. I give to you my power, my dominion, and everything that I am. From henceforth, you are no longer Sola Aldmeris Auroron, now, you are Magna-Sola, successor to Magnus, and a new point in the sky." Xinryk said.

"Successor to Magnus?" Sola asked.

"Fine. Truth be told, it is a good name. You aren't the successor of Magnus unless you take his place. So if you are going to be a coward, don't take his place." Xinryk explained.

"So...I'm a god? A Divine?" Sola asked.

"No. Let's not go that far, and don't even push yourself to a Prince. However, you have as much power as I did. While you may think that I was destroyed by your efforts, it took a lot of effort, and look at the damage I caused. That potential is yours. Perhaps one day you will look to becoming a Prince or Divine." Xinryk said.

"Then I guess I have a long list of things I want done." Sola said.

"First I want your invasion and resistance to end." Sola ordered.

"Ah, orders already. Magna-Sola, you must take action yourself." Xinryk said.

"And your job is not finished yet." Xinryk said with finality, him fading to darkness.

Back atop the Tower, Sola pulled Dawnbreaker out of Xinryk. His form faded to nothingness, and in that moment, Sola felt a massive amount of power surge through her. Like the energy of a thousand suns. The magic barrier holding everyone back fell. But before everyone could rush to congratulate her, the singularity started to destabilize. It started to oscillate and hum. It started to emit ejections of light. It was going to explode. In a moment of omniscience, Sola came with a plan.

"Get off of the Tower!" Sola commanded everyone.

"Sola, let's go!" Nerwaye said.

"Get out! Don't worry about me!" Sola said.

"I'm not leaving without you!" Nerwaye said.

"Sola, I will see you at the bottom." General Coloura said.

"I said leave!" Sola yelled.

"Okay." Nerwaye said, quickly taking off down the stairs.

Just Sola and the singularity. The new star Magna-Sola commanded the singularity to stabilize. It took all of her power just to keep it from collapsing on itself. But Sola could not keep up this effort forever. Slowly, her magicka faded, and the singularity started to collapse slowly. Sola cried as she painfully attempted to stabilize it. She could not in this corporeal form. In a moment of utter distress and necessity, again, she felt a calling. She let the feeling flow through her, collapsing to instinct. Her form again shifted. From a dark form, she shifted to Magna-Sola, the newfound star. Half shining a holy white, and the other a void black, she radiated the power of the cosmos. With a single thought, the singularity stabilized to her command. Even still, Magna-Sola looked up to the magical singularity, her eyes aglow of the same green, and she ordered it to peacefully disperse.

The singularity slowly radiated its energy. Slowly, it decreased in size, and the bubble of monochromatic faded from the interior of Xinryk. Color and life returned to the dead land with the rise of the new ruler. But with this great exertion of effort, Magna-Sola receded back inside of herself, and Sola Auroron again emerged atop the Tower, with a full magicka pool, and ready to return home, or back to her previous life.

A long walk down the stairs followed. Everyone felt the difference. The air seemed light and pleasant, and not like the heavy death of before. What took a week to ascend took an hour to descend. Everyone but Sola had an hour head start on her, so when they reached the bottom, they waited for Sola to emerge.

"Do you think she lived?" General Hazryn asked.

"Of course she did. The singularity did not destabilize. She must have managed to do something." Vyrkyl said.

"I'm not sure if you know, but interacting with something of that size and power is not easy. She must be an amazing mage." General Xiv-Kha said.

"She is. It runs in the family." Nerwaye said with a smile, then looking at Luxen.

"I'm still in shock at how she killed Xinryk. I mean, what happened with her?" Luxen asked.

"She's a magical conduit. Of course, Dawnbreaker probably helped, but she embodied the power of light and Meridia." General Coloura said.

"Until she turned dark." General Xiv-Kha said.

"She managed to corrupt Dawnbreaker." Aedric Fury added.

"Well...she's a notably darker mage than I had imagined." General Coloura said.

"I've seen her do that before. She's taught herself a lot of magic, and when she lets the darker schools into her mind, she sometimes embodies them." Oldon said.

For an hour, that group talked. But with every successive minute, they became more and more worried about Sola. Eventually, however, Sola exited the doors with pride. With a slight smile on her face, and looking as good as she always did, she made an exit. The Tower loomed in the background, going straight up, and burned from the siege. The group saw her and ran to her.

"Sola!" Nerwaye cried, the first one to reach Sola, and grabbing a big hug from her sister.

"Don't worry." Sola said, hugging back.

"You did well." Luxen said.

"Come on, don't leave yourself out of this. You were here the whole time." Sola said, pulling Luxen into a hug.

"I guess I can indulge." Luxen said, hugging back.

"I always had faith in my master." Vyrkyl said.

"Wouldn't have been possible without you." Sola said.

"Good job." Oldon awkwardly said.

"I'm proud of you. But...can I have Dawnbreaker back?" General Coloura asked.

"Um...yeah. Here. I know you saw what happened to it, but I gave it proper rites, so it should be back to normal." Sola said, handing over a purified Dawnbreaker.

"That means I want the Razor back." General Hazryn said.

"The Mace. If you would please." General Xiv-Kha added.

"Well, what happened with Xinryk? Us three need to know." General Coloura asked after the exchange of weapons was over.

"He's no longer a threat. I drained his power. As it turns out, that big ball radiated magicka, so I could channel really powerful spells." Sola said.

"So, no longer a threat? At least for a while?" General Hazryn asked.

"No longer a threat." Sola answered.

"Well, then I guess this is where our journey ends. It's been a pleasure. All of you." General Coloura said.

"I imagine right now that all of my lost soldiers are in the Colored Rooms, waiting for me." General Coloura added.

"They are." Sola reassured.

"Maybe we'll have the pleasure of meeting one another again." General Coloura said.

"Hold on." Ward-Scales said.

"Rewards." Lunaria said.

"Of course." General Coloura laughed, both seriously and lightheartedly.

"Fine. You want something? Tell me. I'll get it to you." General Xiv-Kha said.

"One per person." General Hazryn said.

"Any way I can get to the Colored Rooms?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Of course. I can't keep you there forever, but surely you can have a short stay for your work." General Coloura answered.

"I really hate to sound petty, but some gold would be nice." Oldon said.

"Gold? Gold? I can get you some." General Xiv-Kha said.

"I want some armor. Nice armor." Ward-Scales said.

"It will be done." General Hazryn said.

"Fire staff. Only the best." Lunaria said.

"I can get you one." General Hazryn added.

"I want you not to say anything about me." Vyrkyl told General Xiv-Kha.

"Fine. I can keep your servitude a secret." General Xiv-Kha said.

"No. I don't want anything. Trust me, I have more than enough." Sola said.

"I have something. I'm missing a soul, or at least part of one. If I could get it back." Nerwaye said.

"Same here." Luxen said.

"Nerwaye and Sanctius? I thought you were familiar. I can get you them. In fact, I brought them with me as a reward for you. I have them labeled too, don't mix them up." General Xiv-Kha said.

"Well, that's all of us." Sola said.

"Then away we go. We're all withdrawing from Xinryk." General Coloura said, leaving.

"What about my Colored Rooms?" Aedric Fury asked as General Coloura left.

"I'll hunt you down. Orsinium I believe." General Coloura said with finality.

The three generals split up and left to go back to their planes. They each walked away in different directions now that the fight was over. Peace had been brought to Xinryk.

"With them gone. I guess it's time for us to say goodbye. I can open up portals to wherever now with that singularity gone." Sola said.

"Can I go to Orsinium?" Aedric Fury asked.

"Of course. I remember where you were." Sola said, opening a portal to north Orsinium.

"Hey, keep in touch. You're a good man, Aedric Fury." Luxen said.

"Good luck on your new family. I don't blame you one bit." Aedric Fury said.

Luxen and Aedric Fury hugged before the Orc departed.

"Okay. Send me back. Stormhold, if you would please." Ward-Scales said.

"Don't let me catch you trying to kill me again. You'll regret it." Sola said.

"Shadowfen? I might visit you." Lunaria said.

"Do so. Give me a reason to socialize." Ward-Scales said, departing.

"Okay then, mind about Stonefalls? Ebonheart?" Lunaria asked.

"Sure. And, just to let you know, Lunaria, I've warmed up to you. It's been a pleasure." Sola said, opening a portal to Ebonheart.

"Well, it's been fun." Lunaria said, preparing to leave.

"Maybe I'll see you around. Hopefully not in any bar fights." Lunaria said, leaving.

Now, there were only the five left. Sola, Nerwaye, Oldon, Luxen, and Vyrkyl. The others had left so quickly, and while Sola had been hoping for a final meeting and celebration, she figured that that was something they could save for later. Sola thought about it, and there was no reason to go and return to Akavir to their camp. She figured it was best to return to Alinor. But first she had one final piece of business to take care of.

"Okay, Vyrkyl, let's get this over with." Sola said.

"What is it?" Vyrkyl asked.

"You are no longer bound to me. Come here, let me finalize it." Sola said.

Vyrkyl knelt down to his master and Sola put her hand on his helmet.

"Warden Vyrkyl, by my power, I command you to no longer be my servant. But also, I release you from the command of Molag Bal." Sola said, using her power as Magna-Sola.

"It's been a real ride. Enjoy your freedom." Sola said, a tear falling from her eye.

"No. Not like this." Vyrkyl said.

"You deserve it." Sola said.

"...I may no longer be forced to be your servant, but still, if you need anything, let me know. I respect great power." Vyrkyl said, standing up.

"Then, where do you want to go?" Sola asked.

"Back to Coldharbour. I know you may not like it, but for now, that's where I stay." Vyrkyl said.

"Goodbye. Thank you for everything." Sola said, opening a portal to Coldharbour.

"Lady Sola, I meant what I said." Vyrkyl said, walking off to Coldharbour.

Sola closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again.

"Okay. Well, that's all over. How about we go see mom and dad? I'm sure they want to see us." Sola said with a smile.

"Hold on. We have what we wanted. Sola, if you could please give us back our life." Luxen said, taking his soul gem out.

"You took this from me, but now it's back." Nerwaye said, a soul gem in her hand.

Sola channeled her power. She chained Luxen's soul from the soul gem and forced it back into his heart. It was painful, but she was able to reverse his condition. Sola then turned to Nerwaye. She looked at her soul gem, and then she ignored her own emotions and tethered the life to her body. Sola sent the life back to Nerwaye, and sent over a bit extra that she had siphoned over the years. Sola watched as Nerwaye became younger; her wrinkles that had started to form faded away, and her hair instantly became thicker and more radiant. Nerwaye now brightly smiled at her sister, and then at Luxen.

"I'm normal now. It feels nice. Thank you, Sola." Nerwaye said.

"I think I'm going to get the hair dye out of me." Nerwaye added.

"Good. I love your brown hair." Sola said with a smile.

"Back to the family then." Sola said.

"Wait. Sola, before that. I just want to say that I'm sorry for...I'm sorry." Oldon said.

"It's okay." Sola said.

"I was wondering...wondering if...if I could get a hug." Oldon said.

"Of course." Sola said.

Oldon pulled Sola into a hug, as a form of apology. He held her there, and then Sola decided to give Oldon a small kiss on the cheek, as thanks for helping out.

"Oh…" Oldon said.

"Um...that wasn't serious." Sola said awkwardly.

"Well, let's go back." Oldon said.

Sola opened a portal back to Alinor. When they left Xinryk, they emerged a few hours outside of their village. After they enjoyed the fresh air, bright sun, and cool breeze, Nerwaye remembered about her baby. She set down her bag and pulled out the dark cocoon that was Urcelmo.

"Sola, if you would please." Nerwaye said.

Sola channeled her magic again, and released Urcelmo from stasis. He was in good a shape as he was before he was put in stasis. Nerwaye cried when he saw him again. She lifted him up joyfully and spun around with him, before holding Urcelmo close to her chest for a hug. Nerwaye then looked at Luxen.

"Do you mind if I hold him?" Luxen asked.

"Just for a bit; I should feed him." Nerwaye answered, passing Urcelmo over.

While that happened, Nerwaye quickly leaned in and stole a kiss from Luxen, and then gave him a smile.

"This is my child." Luxen said, still in shock.

"Nerwaye, you and I are going to raise him well. Thank you for talking sense into me." Luxen said.

"Maybe we can have another." Nerwaye said.

"Well, that certainly could be doable." Luxen said.

"Okay, okay. Just wait until we reach home. Nerwaye has her own room. I can watch over Urcelmo for a little bit while you...work out the details." Sola said.

The trip back home started. For a few hours, they walked peacefully. Sola marched out in front, with Oldon wandering off a bit to the side, often looking at the fresh grass. Nerwaye stared at Urcelmo, with Luxen at her side. After a few hours, they reached the village that Sola, Nerwaye, and Oldon called home.

They all walked through the quaint village. It looked as if it had suffered damage during the invasion, but it was still inhabited. Even though some of the houses were burned or broken, the villagers were still there, rebuilding and enjoying life. The four walked up to the house that looked so familiar to three of them. Sola knocked on the door with a smile.

The door opened, and out looked her parents. Their faces instantly lit up again when they saw their little daughter. Their face lit up when they saw Oldon, and when they saw Nerwaye looking young again, they nearly cried. They also saw Luxen holding Urcelmo, but thought nothing of him.

"We were so worried! Why do our daughters always run off?" The father asked.

"We stopped it. I'm sorry, but we had to stop it. It's quite the story." Sola said.

"Well do tell it. Come inside. All of you." The father said.

"Let me make some food, so we may feast and celebrate." The mother said, pulling her daughters close.

The four all went out to the local pond to bathe. Of course, Sola felt uncomfortable around Oldon, and also both her and Oldon did not want to intrude on Luxen and Nerwaye. So after those two bathed, Sola went to bathe, then Oldon. They were able to get out of their armor and battle clothes, and get the stench of death off of them. They were able to wear normal clothes. Sola wore a purple dress, Nerwaye a red dress. Oldon wore some pants and a shirt, while Luxen had been given one of Sola's dresses to wear, again. So he had to shamefully wear a gray dress.

"Again?" Luxen asked as he walked down the stairs to go and eat with his friends and family.

"I don't make the rules. If anything, they should have given you one of Nerwaye's." Sola said.

"About that. How are they going to react?" Luxen asked.

"Who knows? I'm feeling good about them." Sola answered.

"Okay." Luxen said, looking up.

They all sat down at the table and prepared to eat. The mother had made a fresh goose to devour, along with bread and turnips. They prepared to eat the home cooked meal, but before, they all bowed their heads in prayer to Auri-El. Only after that did they eat, and the food was good. They ate all they could, and the goose was so big, so there was plenty of food to go around.

"Very good, mom." Sola said, eating a drumstick.

"Thank you." Nerwaye said.

"So, tell me, what happened." The father said.

"So, I went to go look for Oldon, and met Luxen, who's the man you've never met. We went inside of a cave, and found where Oldon was. We then left, and found some people to help us, then we returned, and took down the ruler of the Daedric Plane." Sola said.

"It sounds like a story. Come on, Sola, give me the full version." The mother said.

Sola gave a censored version of the story. She of course did not bring up that there were Daedra assisting them, or that Nerwaye and Luxen had some sort of blossoming relationship. All in all, what Sola had said were plenty of lies. She entirely left out the gravity of the situation, and, perhaps most importantly, what had happened to her. Sola withheld it from her parents, and from everyone else for that matter, that she was the successor to Xinryk, and now she held his power and domain. But to her, nobody needed to know that. She just wanted to be normal, or at least appear to be normal.

"What a story…" The father said in awe.

The eating continued. Eventually, Luxen came into the minds of the two parents. They decided to question just who this child was, and who this Imperial among them was.

"So, who is this Imperial, and this child?" The mother asked.

"Sanctius Luxen. As you heard, I helped your two daughters. This child is mine." Luxen answered.

"What's his name?" The father asked.

"Urcelmo. In case you couldn't tell, he's half Altmer." Luxen answered, looking down at his child.

The parents were taken aback by this.

"Um...who's the woman?" The mother asked.

Luxen paused. He knew that eventually this would have to come out, but he was hoping to wait a bit more. Now, however, there was no holding onto the fact that he had had a child with Nerwaye, and that her parents would find out, and perhaps even worse, that Luxen and Nerwaye were planning on having a family now.

"The woman? Well, she has brilliant, beautiful blonde hair. She's a beautiful woman, tall, ample, and very nice. Green eyes, slightly tinted skin, a smile that makes you smile. She's perfect, and we were meant for one another." Luxen said, staring into the eyes of Nerwaye.

At this piece of poetry, Nerwaye started to tear up as she smiled.

"I know you don't know me, but I was hoping to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." Luxen said to Nerwaye's father.

The father and mother both remained silent. One moment they had been having fun talking with their family and friends and new acquaintance, and now, there was a mammoth in the room. The two had no idea what to say about this sudden proposal. Even their daughters and Oldon had nothing to say. For two minutes there was complete silence. The silence got more and more tenuous as it went on, before it finally broke. The father was angry. To him, his daughters meant everything. But not just that, but also his bloodline. He wanted to preserve his strong bloodline, and from everything that seemed to be transpiring, both his daughters would fail in that aspect.

"What? Is this a joke?" The father asked.

"I'm asking you." Luxen said.

"Nerwaye is an Altmer. She is not open to marriage except for other Altmer." The father sternly said.

"Dad, the damage has already been done." Sola said.

There was another tenuous silence with anger again building.

"Get out!" The father yelled.

"Nerwaye, we are going to have to talk about this!" The father yelled.

"Okay." Nerwaye sheepishly said.

"What? No! No! Not this time!" Sola yelled.

"I'm not going to let you stand between them. Nerwaye is her own woman, she doesn't need you telling her what to do." Sola said.

"Sola, keep out of this!" The father said.

"No. There was a reason I ran away all those years ago. Now I remember why. You want to control every aspect of our lives, but I'm not going to let you do that." Sola said.

"Nerwaye, you are an Auroron. You have good blood in your veins. Don't ruin our bloodline." The mother said.

"I already have a child. I can't do anything about that." Nerwaye nervously said.

"You can. Just give him here. I can take care of him." The mother said.

Sola was in utter shock at this.

"I'm leaving." Sola said.

"Oldon, let's go. You don't need to hear this." Sola said.

"I must agree." Oldon said, standing up.

"I asked politely." Luxen said.

"You want to kill him? Why? What has he ever done?! He didn't choose to get born like this! It was my fault! Okay?! And you want to kill my child! I won't let you! No family would suggest that!" Nerwaye yelled.

"Then leave! I won't have our name ruined by you and your 'new family'!" The father yelled.

"We will! We'll have our own family from now! We don't need you!" Sola yelled, grabbing her few possessions remaining and leaving.

The four left in the middle of the meal. They got up, packed their few things, and instantly left. They left with the pie that the mother had made specially for them, packed with berries and cream, and left it without being cut. In the evening, they left and started to Cloudrest, that they might at least have somewhere to plan from. Thankfully, the night was warm and relatively bright. So when the remainder of the group moved on, it was pleasant.

"The nerve of them. I can't believe they let bloodline get in the way of love." Sola said, still angry, perhaps more than Nerwaye.

"I can't blame them." Luxen said.

"If they had gotten to know you, I'm sure they'd have approved." Nerwaye said.

"No. Too much focus on bloodline instead of love. It's nice to say that a good bloodline helps, because it does, just look at Nerwaye and I, but that can't be the only thing to consider in marriage." Sola said.

"Well, I suppose it was best for me to get out of that Altmer state of mind." Oldon said.

"Um...I was just wondering, Sanctius, did you really mean what you said about me?" Nerwaye asked.

"Of course. I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, and that I may have treated you badly when we first met, but things have changed. I owe you and Urcelmo, but that's not important. What's important is that you're a great woman. I've left the Order for you and our child. That was a big step, and that should show you how serious I am." Luxen said.

"By the Eight!" Nerwaye gasped.

"And I know that it's still a bit early, seeing as we met a few weeks ago, but I feel something between us, and I hope you do too. But...damn...Nerwaye, I have a ring. It was my mother's before she died. It was her mother's before that, and goes back a long ways. I was wondering if you'd wear it for me, and when you're ready, if we could get married and settle down." Luxen said, pulling out a ring on a necklace.

"By Meridia! Why do you have to be so nice?!" Sola asked, tearing up.

"Of course. I'd...I'd be ready if we got married now." Nerwaye said, tears coming from her eyes.

"Sola, I know it isn't exactly a big wedding with drink, food, and a temple, but I was wondering if you could please marry us to one another." Luxen said.

"Just here? On the side of the road?" Sola asked, excitement in her voice.

"You're a great mage, a servant of Meridia, and I would be honored for you to do this." Luxen answered.

"I would be honored to perform the ceremony for my sister." Sola said.

"I'm not sure if I'm intruding. But I did...find...a pie at your house. To celebrate." Oldon said.

"That'd be great." Nerwaye said with a smile.

Sola brought the love-struck couple by one another, as Sola stood by them. It really was impromptu, as Nerwaye stood casually dressed and Luxen stood in the wet clothes he had washed earlier. An older couple had walked by them, and had asked what was going on. Oldon said a wedding, and the couple asked if they could watch; they were allowed to watch.

Sola read rites and a pledge to Mara. Both Nerwaye and Luxen accepted without hesitation. When the rite were ready, Luxen and Nerwaye kissed. And like that, they were married. As celebration, they cut the pie and shared it with the two onlookers. While the wedding may not have been a beautiful one, it was special. The short celebration later, they were all sitting down, ready to camp for the night.

"We'll be in Cloudrest tomorrow. There we can begin anew." Nerwaye said.

"The stars, aren't they beautiful?" Oldon asked.

"Wait...I've never seen that one before." Nerwaye said, pointing to the sky.

There was a new star in the sky. It sat next to the Tower, and brilliantly shined a strong blue light. While nobody else knew, Sola instantly knew the name of the star: Magna-Sola. That was her hole to Aetherius, and she now had a place among the stars.

"That's great." Sola said.

They all still sat there for a while, enjoying the warm and welcoming night. Then, Luxen and Nerwaye became a bit fidgety.

"Um...so Sancitus and I are going to...um…" Nerwaye tried to say.

"Right...this is awkward." Luxen said.

"You two need a blanket or anything? Don't want to be mistaken for animals." Sola said.

"No. We'll be fine." Nerwaye said as she walked off with her new husband.

The next day the brand new family had arrived in Cloudrest. They would live out their lives well. Now, they had a new family where they would not have to be subject to their parents. They had overcome the impossible, and even with a war raging on, they could now find peace. They already had the foundations of a few family. With Nerwaye and Luxen being the head, and Sola being an aunt to their children, and Oldon being an uncle. Finally, they had all found peace, and now were content with their lives.

They all had to find new jobs. Nerwaye became an enchanter for the Aldmeri Dominion, while Luxen became a city guard. Sola still had not settled down, so she continued to adventure around Tamriel, but she always had a home at her sister's house. Oldon continued to fight for the Dominion in the Three Banners War before he decided to retire and settle down in Elsweyr.

Eventually, Nerwaye and Luxen moved to the Gold Coast of Cyrodiil because Luxen had family there, and even though Sola was around quite often, Luxen missed his family, and Nerwaye had little family to visit. So they moved to the Gold Coast, and there they had three other children and lived the rest of their lives out in peace.

Discussion on "Atop the Tower"

As you see, "Atop the Tower" is the pinnacle, quite literally, of the works. It acts as a closing act for all previous stories. We are introduced to numerous characters and situations, so many that it is a wonder that it was not split into multiple shorter sections.

Let us discuss the new character we are introduced to: Sanctius Luxen. While I hope I did not spoil it for you, he is a direct ancestor of mine. We are introduced to him, while he investigates the start of a small Daedric incursion, an event which is eventually known as the Ascension of Magna-Sola. He is investigating the sudden outburst of Daedra, and in doing so, meets Sola. While his future wife and lover has gone back to Cyrodiil at this point, Sola and Luxen then merge their interests, and pick up on finding Oldon and finding the source of this incursion.

They find both of their objectives. Oldon has been captured in the realm, while the source of the Daedra is a mysterious enigma known as Xinryk. Xinryk himself is an enigma. There is no reference to him in any kind of Tamrielic source on Daedra. What we do know from "Atop the Tower" is that he used to be a servant of Mehrunes Dagon, before he plotted against him, and was banished to his own new realm, which was also named Xinryk, where he would be forced to rot with him and his followers.

We see a similarity between Luxen and Sola right away. As it turns out, they both fit into a category of warriors known as Templars. Of course there was a Magnus-worshiping Templaric order that existed during the Second Era, but Luxen and Sola do not fit into that category. As it turns out, they are both followers of Meridia, and unlike Sola's homegrown faith and magic, Luxen is in an organized faction that supports Meridia, the faction which has no historical mention existing to this day, likely due to the Dragon Break, or Imperials removing it from history via a hunt for records. Something I may want to clarify on is Sola's faith. At this point, it is rather unclear whether or not she is still a true follower of Meridia and Azura. We know that she was in "The Start of an Adventure", but letters that she wrote indicated a decline in her faith. And while a correspondence states that she renewed her faith, it is very possible that she lied. We see less and less of Sola acting as a follower of Princes and Divines.

Sola and Luxen have similarity in their magic, but as mentioned, Sola puts dark twists on her Templaric magic. Luxen is still a very interesting character, and a main character at that. Despite claiming to be a monk who keeps all manner of rites and pledges, we know from Sola and Nerwaye's teasing that that is not the case. This colors Luxen as being like everyone else; He makes mistakes, and he is mortal. Luxen does mention that he did break his vows of celibacy and alcohol consumption. While held onto until later, we find out that Nerwaye was his partner that one night, and that Nerwaye's child is his child too. From here, he is left with the uncomfortable situation that is being stuck between his religion, and his duty as a father. Of course, Nerwaye wants him to raise Urcelmo with her.

This is the start of the love story within "Atop the Tower". We have the dance between Nerwaye and Luxen, revolving around their bastard child. Luxen, at the very least, does not want to hurt Nerwaye, so he says all manner of nice things to her, and eventually, Nerwaye reveals that her feelings may have evolved, as evidenced by the fact that she slowly and slowly creeps up on Luxen, doing things such as sleeping by him. This puts Luxen in a more desperate situation, and eventually, Nerwaye's looks, personality, and the fact that he has a child with her, wins him over. He says that he will raise his child with her, and not only that, but leave his service to Meridia for her. That is what happens. After the climax of "Atop the Tower", the resolution leaves us with Luxen and Nerwaye being rejected from their elven family due to their relationship, and Sola willingly leaving with her sister, so they can all start a new family that is free of racial prejudice against them. Then, Luxen and Nerwaye get married just a bit later, with Sola performing the ceremony, and then the implied consumation later. We are then left with our love-stricken pair having more children, and living on the Gold Coast of Cyrodiil.

Due to her entanglement with Luxen, and her role in "Back to the Family", expanding on Nerwaye is rather pointless. Anything I say would provide no new insight, so, rather, I will start with the lesser characters.

First, Aedric Fury. He is first mentioned in a letter that Sola wrote years before "Atop the Tower". But this is the first time we see him. He is a big, tall, strong Orsimer who happens to be very nice and kind, alongside a good cook. He shares a spot in the same order as Luxen, so they know one another. However, the alliances they serve differ. Aedric Fury serves the Daggerfall Covenant, whereas Luxen serves the Aldmeri Dominion. Despite this, their only fights emerge when Luxen debates leaving the order, and going to Nerwaye. Of course, Aedric Fury does not want this, and he tries to fight in, saying that they need to finish what they have started. In the end though, Aedric Fury understands, and lets Luxen leave with little more fight. I assume this is because Aedric Fury also wanted a family, but his vows prevented him.

Next, we have Ward-Scales. Rather mysterious, but also having mention in "Back to the Family". He stalked the group, and ended up being the last member to join. A silent character, he rarely speaks. We still see a bit of conflict come into play between him and Lunaria Chimeri, who I will discuss later. When I read "Atop the Tower" over and over again, researching for this compilation, I wondered why Ward-Scales seemed so underdeveloped as a character. It seemed as if he was just there, and contributed nothing, as if he was just a body.

Then, we have Oldon. He seems to be just a shadow of his former self. His capture has changed him for the worse, and he has also become rather withdrawn, and now he takes backstage while Luxen steps forward. However, something interesting with Oldon is his liking, perhaps borderline obsession, with Sola. When he attempts to kiss her, she reacts strongly, opposing it, and then the action is opposed by everyone. After this incident, I believe that his feelings die down. Something I believe that is responsible for Oldon's resurgence in feelings is Sola's tenderness towards him, which could easily be mistaken. She has it set in her mind that she needs to find Oldon, and when she does, she does her best to take care of him. Oldon could have confused her care for feelings, which led up to the momentous event. However, Sola does her best to push it all under the table, and leave it be, and forget about it.

One particularly interesting character is Lunaria Chimeri. A completely new character, and certainly not unique to the saga. As you read, Lunaria is hot-headed, aggressive, and conceited. What I am trying to get at is that she shares a lot of traits with Sola, Nerwaye, and Vyrkyl. This causes conflict between the three women within the group. For a time, Sola and Nerwaye are at Lunaria's throat, after a few of her actions and words are misinterpreted as wrong, which is not to say that some of the other things she said were not wrong. The similarity between the three women makes for conflict, but then brings them together. Lunaria, in many ways, resembles what Sola was like in her earlier years: aggressive, hot-headed. Eventually, they all realized that the three of them were all rather similar, so in the end, they could all cooperate and get along, which is exactly what happens.

One interesting aspect of Lunaria is her name. It is a dualism to Sola, or Solaria, if we want to be correct. Again with celestial destiny, it seems as if Sola has a celestial dualism.

Aside from celestial relationships, Lunaria also is interesting in that she has a child. She had it, as she said, at age sixteen, which is very young for anybody. She then gave away the child because she could not raise it. Then, a few years down the road, she had joined the Worm Cult, had dragon tattoos, and all manner of distasteful things. Again with the similarity between Sola and Lunaria. In many ways, Lunaria is doing the same thing Sola did, but on a much more grativic scale; Sola's actions were mundane compared to Lunaria's.

Finally, Lunaria's final interesting trait is her martial style. Claiming to be trained by an Akaviri deserter, she uses fire magic with Akaviri flavor. While generally not remembered today, over a thousand years later, there were several invasions of Tamriel by the Akaviri. While I will leave you to research the Akaviri in your local library, I will let you know that some of their culture is still affecting our Tamrielic culture. Back on topic, Lunaria lived on the now ash-ridden island of Vvardenfell. While I am not sure which city, I can assume it is a place where the Akaviri attacked. Needless to say, somehow Lunaria met an Akaviri, and was trained in Draconic and Akaviri fire arts. Her martial style is not unique, as many so called Dragonknights of the Second Era are reported to have traversed Tamriel, warding off evil and fighting in Cyrodiil. Still, the lost arts of the Dragonknights are a very interesting topic.

Then we have Warden Vyrkyl. Again, with him, not much changed from "Back to the Family". However, Vyrkyl has become notably more complacent with Sola. Even to the point where Sola jokes about whether or not his service is still forced. Vyrkyl is still a mysterious character, however, "Atop the Tower" helps to define who he is, at least what we should know about him. Needless to say, we discover that he holds intense loyalty to Sola, who he now knows as his new master. As we all should know, a mortal being a true master to a Daedra is rather rare, and when it occurs, it is usually with lesser Daedra, and not Dremora. This situation has all manner of questions attached, but none of which can be answered by information given in the novel, or by research I have done. Our final view of Vyrkyl is when he gets unbound from Molag Bal, by Sola. From there, what happens to him is a mystery.

Now, our main topic of discussion comes up: Sola Auroron. She has changed quite a bit by the time "Atop the Tower" ends. She has become on good terms with her sister, and has ascended to become Magna-Sola. One interesting point in her adventures is her camp in Akavir. Using a portal, she travels to Akavir to hide from Xinryk's invasion, and from her camp, along with Luxen, she organizes a counterattack. From the brief description given, the Planemeld is affecting Akavir, where there is a fabled Dark Anchor by where she camps. Visiting the camp in Akavir is something I have wanted to do, but the problem of finding it, alongside safely venturing to Akavir, pose serious problems.

I want to point out Sola's position between Luxen and Nerwaye. Sola is definitely trying to get the two together. She wants the best for her sister, who she still harbors some resentment to after she had a bastard child. Sola is also the one who noticed that Luxen was the father. Sola's role in the family is a bit different. She does not hold the traditional 'aunt' role, but rather, she lies closer. She is mentioned as always having a place in her sister's house, which is a warming sentiment. If I were to take a guess, Sola probably had a role in raising Nerwaye's children, likely because she did not have children because of her ascension. Needless to say, Sola was a driving force behind Luxen and Nerwaye's relationship.

Perhaps the most interesting part of "Atop the Tower", and certainly the most historically important, and magically perplexing event mentioned, is her ascension. I could go on and on about whether or not Sola was predestined celestially, but before anything, let us look as some examples of her growth in power. First, when she meets Luxen, and they are looking for Oldon in Xinryk, when Luxen summons an Aedric Spear, Sola creates what was called a Daedric Spear, basically just a dark version of Luxen's. It shows her change in power, and hints at her later duality. There is also a brief moment when Sola claims she is overtaken by something during a speech.

With such an impactful event, we must hunt down what caused her ascension. Her fight with Xinryk, on the pinnacle of the Tower of Xinryk, took place below what was called a 'singularity of magic'. While I am still unclear on what is specifically is, it seems as if it provided Sola with immense power through the magicka it radiated. Even before this initial power up, Sola had become a mage with a massive magicka pool, unparalleled potential to replenish it, and she possessed plenty of willpower to access her magical knowledge. When she fought Xinryk and was unable to win, she transcended into a holy state, and even then when she could not win, she followed her opponent's advice and allowed magic to control her. She transformed into a darkened state.

That moment is what I consider to be her ascension as Magna-Sola. However, she was not at her full strength yet. When Sola is able to subdue Xinryk, and absorb his power, she is able to reach full strength. I want to note Magna-Sola's duality. She embodies both purity and darkness. The few pieces of art left about her show her with a ball of light in one hand, and a ball of darklight in the other. With her absorption of Xinryk, Magna-Sola achieved immortality, and inherited everything that Xinryk possessed. The event known as the Ascension of Magna-Sola caused the star Magna-Sola to appear, and it disappeared with her exodus in the beginning of the Third Era.

I know that the study of Magna-Sola was a rather obscure topic, so for research on many occurrences, I had to take into account the fact that the Ascension of Magna-Sola was both a celestial event and a tangible event in Oblivion. During my research trip to Alinor, I visited an observatory to gain more insight on the Ascension of Magna-Sola. When I inquired the Altmer mages and scholars on the topic of Magna-Sola, the pointed me to old records that detailed the Ascension of Magna-Sola. Apparently, the star Magna-Sola emerged in a flash of light, and at first it was rather dim, until a few minutes later, when it shone brightly.

As we know, stars, including Magnus, are holes to Aetherius, made by et'Ada who fled from Lorkhan's plan to create the Mundus. This would imply that Magna-Sola fled to Aetherius. However, that is not the case that we see. So, there is something else happening. What I think happened is that Magna-Sola's ascension warped the barrier between Aetherius and the Mundus, and the warpage created a hole to Aetherius, which was sustained by Magna-Sola so long as she remained in Oblivion, with access to Nirn.

When I investigated the disappearance of Magna-Sola, I was told that the star simply disappeared from view in a moment. I was also told that it was not a well recorded event, due to the disappearance occurring when Tiber Septim was conquering Alinor.

During my readings of all of the traditional texts, something occurred to me: what if there was a Ninth Adventurer, that is, another member of the group that was never mentioned in text? At first, it was just a basic thought, but as I read more and more into everything, it started to make more and more sense that there could be one. As we have read, the novels generally have gotten larger and larger as time moves on. How could this be? Well, the author, or authors, of these works was never known, so my proposed ninth character could easily be the author. They would have met Sola, specifically Sola, because the plot revolves around her, and became friends with her, and when Sola told her stories, the unknown ninth person would have written them down. That would mean writing down "The Start of an Adventure", "To Coldharbour", and "The Chosen of the Storm", although "The Chosen of the Storm" probably was written with information from Nerwaye and Oldon. Those three would have been stories they were told, and then written down, and because of it being a story and not a first hand event, they turned out to be notably shorter. Meanwhile, this ninth adventurer could have joined up with Sola for adventures during the events of "Back to the Family" and "Atop the Tower", which would explain their length. However, it is unusual that there is little mention otherwise of a possible ninth companion. Needless to say, it is still an interesting take which is very possible, considering there is nothing known about the authors of these works.

Back to the Vestige. I mentioned the Vestige earlier, and now it is time to return to that topic. With her ascension, where does Sola fit into the Vestige category. Due to the Dragon Break, we know nothing about the Vestige other than they existed and what they did; we know nothing about them. As I discussed, Sola does not exactly fully fit the Vestige category, due to how she was not sacrificed by Mannimarco. However, Sola lines up with all of the other base requirements. And, due to her ascension, it gave her incredible power, which she could have used to end the Planemeld. However, the Vestige had the Amulet of Kings used on them to grant them incredible power for a short time. Had this happened to Sola, who knows what would have happened, other than that it might be enough power to overtake all of the Divines and Princes. Despite what I want to do, this is too important of a topic to hold onto until later. As it turns out, Magna-Sola becomes a competitor with Tiber Septim, who we all know ascends to become Talos. It is specifically mentioned in "Atop the Tower" that Magna-Sola does not have the power of a Prince of Divine, and as she mentions later, her power is more akin to that of a sovereign Daedra.

However, we have a conflict of information, occurring outside of a Dragon Break. So, one must be true. Which one? I would assume that Magna-Sola is downplaying her power. What I think happened is that she was one of many Vestiges, which is a consequence of the superposition involved in the Dragon Break. With the Amulet of Kings used on her, her power grew from that of a Sovereign Daedra, to that of a Daedric Prince or Divine. How, when Akatosh gave her power for a short time, Magna-Sola's utter power from before her temporary state of Chim allowed her to hold onto power from her further ascended state, enabling her to grow to unparalleled power. Then arises the question of Talos. Magna-Sola, then, in that state, could have crushed Tiber Septim, even with him possessing the Numidium. So, again, we are left with either she is not that powerful, or what may seem like a more likely scenario. Magna-Sola eventually retreats with the conquest of Alinor by Tiber Septim, with intent to avoid conflict with him. Sola later mentions that Tiber Septim deserved to achieve godhood, and that she may have wanted it, but it is for the best. What I think happens is that Magna-Sola possesses a second sight from her power, and she withdrew from Nirn to allow Tiber Septim to achieve Chim, and succeed Lorkhan, instead of herself, for reasons unknown.

This would allow Sola to be both Vestige and Magna-Sola. Another possibility is that due to her ascension, there are multiple Vestiges. And Sola was one of them, but her ascension prevented her from being touched by the Dragon Break, so her position was not lost to history, and then another Vestige came and did everything she also did, and thus, two Vestiges exist, allowed by a Dragon Break and raw power.

With the Ascension of Magna-Sola, we are left with the conclusion. Sola and Nerwaye leave their family to start a new one of their own, after a final fight with their parents. It shows how deviant that the two sisters were from traditional Altmer life, and how they valued free thought over tradition. Nerwaye and Luxen get married, and then we are left with but a peek of the rest of their life before "Atop the Tower" ends. However, we do not get to see what happens to everyone after the events written. This bothered me, so I decided to do research on it.

Starting with Ward-Scales, the Argonian. A rather disturbing trip to Black Marsh is what it took to try and research what happened to him. As it turns out, the Argonians did not have a good record keeping system back then, and the most I could dig up on his life after "Atop the Tower" is that he is in a casualty list that is dated to Tiber Septim's conquest of Black Marsh, where Ward-Scales is listed as a casualty in Stormhold.

Next, Aedric Fury. I took a trip to Orsinium, which was a general part of all of my research that I did. I did research on Sola's letters, and also what happened to Aedric Fury. As it turns out, that was not his real name, so any records I found were ones I could not identify. And rather than try and find the name of a person who has been dead for a millennium, I gave up. That was until I was researching in the Orsinium library, and read an account of Sola Auroron, given by an Orsimer. Taking the name, I did some more record searching, and was able to find out that Aedric Fury ended up dying in the Three Banners War after the Planemeld ended.

For obvious reasons, I cannot research what happened to Warden Vyrkyl, so I must skip him. Instead, I will move to Lunaria Chimeri. I did research while in Windhelm, in Skyrim, due to unsafe conditions in Morrowind. Thankfully, the remnants of the Great Houses brought some of their records with them. I was doing research in a cornerclub in the Gray Quarter, it being the only place where I could do research, and was not able to find a Dunmer by the name 'Lunaria Chimeri'. However, "Atop the Tower" was able to provide some details about her life, so, I dug through the records again, searching for the first name Lunaria, and going over each record, looking for something that would notify me. After several hours, I found what I was looking for. A Dunmer by the name of Lunaria Telvanni fit the criteria. This meant that Lunaria was a part of one of the Great Houses before she ran away from her family. Lunaria ended up getting married, having a few children, before her death two hundred years after Tiber Septim's conquest.

Oldon, as we read, fought in the Three Banners War even more, and then retired to Elsweyr. Doing some preliminary research in Dune, I was able to track him down to Khenarthi's Roost. From what I read, Oldon had five children after he got married to a local Khajiiti woman, each of his children was magically gifted, which is an anomaly for Khajiit. While it is never expanded upon much, we know that Oldon possessed considerable talent in storm magic, and that he was strange in that aspect, that, and his Altmeri upbringing, would help explain magic running through his family's blood.

Now, to the new family formed in "Atop the Tower". After getting married, Luxen and Nerwaye lived in Cloudrest for a few years before they decided to move to the Gold Coast. Given the reason that Luxen had family over there, I did some research in my family's history to see what kind of family exactly. I was able to access the library that the Luxen family held on its estate outside of Kvatch. From what I read, Luxen's parents had died, and due to his father not having any brothers, and other similar circumstances, Luxen was the only person left on Tamriel who had that surname. So, his family would have been from his mother's side. I did some more research on family history, and found out about a small schism in the Luxen family. Following an argument between Urcelmo Luxen, the child mentioned in "Atop the Tower", and Sanctius Luxen, the father, the topic being on whether or not Urcelmo had to live on the Gold Coast, because 'he felt drawn to his homeland of Summerset, and not the disgusting, dirty land of Cyrodiil and its inferior people, of which he was cursed to be a part of'. The argument escalated, and what happened was that Urcelmo left his parents, much to Nerwaye's sadness, and he went to Cloudrest. It just so happens to be that Sola was still in Cloudrest at this point in time. After she had contact with Nerwaye, Sola decided that she would ensure that Urcelmo was not going to hurt himself. Sola managed to conjure enough gold to buy a house where her and her nephew lived until Sola left Nirn in the Exodus of Magna-Sola.

From here, we have two sides of the Luxen family, the Altmer side, and the Imperial side. The Altmer side was a disrespected, weak bloodline Altmer family, which is ironic, considering the prime bloodline that the Auroron family held, which is the predecessor to the Aldmeri Luxen family. The weak bloodline made the Altmer side descend further down. Even Urcelmo, being the first member, was only able to find a wife with weak blood, so their single child had 'weak' blood. This prevented any further members of the family from obtaining desirable, high paying jobs, so the family was forced into a low class, and the majority of the family became household servants. One curse that the Luxen family on Alinor supposedly has is that they can only have one child, which is actually due to financial strain, and that one child will be a male. This ensures that the family name is passed on, and the bloodline only grows weaker. Thankfully the trend has now been broken, but more on that later.

Meanwhile, the Imperial side of the family did not stagnate. Sanctius and Nerwaye had two other boys, who then eventually had children of their own. Skipping forward several generations, the Imperial Luxen family was well-respected. It had been known for a strong bloodline, due to ancestors having given birth to the woman who became Magna-Sola, and due to rumors that Tiber Septim had blood in the family. I can confirm that Magna-Sola is a far off member of the family, but not Tiber Septim. The Luxen family came to be known for natural magical talent, which is presumably from the Altmer side, a blessing from Magna-Sola, for being great merchants, which is also claimed to be a blessing from Magna-Sola, and for fine women, which is said to be passed down from the Altmer ancestry. So the Imperial side became rich and successful, which is quite the opposite of the Altmer side.

Still, while the original schism left the family divided, after a few years of Urcelmo being gone from his parents, they reached back out to him again, and restored communication. Physically the family was still split, although one part grew to be much bigger than the other, but in a way, they were reunited. So, that enabled the Altmer side to get all benefits of the Luxen family, which became more apparent as time passed. Unfortunately, the benefits were really only limited to Cyrodiil. So, it became commonplace for the Altmer side to be brought to Cyrodiil every few years to catch back up, and enjoy the benefits of their family. Thankfully, due to the Altmer side being at most three people, it worked out well. The schism had effectively disappeared and been forgotten after the first generation, with family histories being the only thing left to tell the tale.

Finally, we come to what happened to Sola after the events of "Atop the Tower". I have already written a lot about of what has happened to her, but allow me to summate it all for you. After her ascension, Sola returned to Nirn, where she may or may not have ended the Planemeld. She lived in Cloudrest until her exodus, which was during Tiber Septim's invasion of the Summerset Isles. From there, we know very little about what happens. That is until her resurgence.

"One Final Adventure"

This brings us to a final, modern story. "One Final Adventure" takes place twenty years before I wrote this, when I was a young adult, before my interest in Magna-Sola. Let me reiterate important events that have occurred since Magna-Sola's exodus.

First and foremost, we have Tiber Septim's conquest of Tamriel, followed by his ascension to Chim, and becoming the successor to Lorkhan. As discussed, Magna-Sola had some degree of conflict with Talos, the nature of which we do not know.

Then, we have the Warp of the West, the Dragon Break that occurred in the Iliac Bay.

Next, we have the death of the Tribunal, and rise of the Nerevarine, and the fall of Dagoth Ur.

Followed by this, we have the Oblivion Crisis, where we see the end of the Septim family.

Finally, we have the return of of Alduin, which was brought to the end by the Last Dragonborn.

All of these things have happened and affected Nirn. And, then, after a few moments of peace, another event happens, perhaps one that may affect the world as much as the previous events. While it turns out not to be the case, the events of "One Final Adventure" affect life in the Cloudrest region of Alinor.

Allow me to present the tale.

Eranmil returned home. Yet another terrible day. Again he had been verbally assaulted for his weak bloodline. It was not his fault; he had not asked to be born of weak blood. Yet all of the Altmer were mean to him because of it. He could not find a job, and he could not walk around Cloudrest without being noticed. He hated his blood. He blamed it all on his ancestors from the Second Era. Those ancestors that his family adored and worshiped. Nerwaye and Sanctius Luxen, those two, had damned him. Those two were Eranmil's ancestors, so he was part Imperial, even though that marriage was a very long time ago, it caused drastic effects on his family. He was descended of Urcelmo Luxen, child of Nerwaye and Sanctius. Urcelmo was half Altmer and half Imperial, so when it came time for him to get married, he could not find anyone of respectable and pure bloodline. He had to marry into a weak bloodline. And from there, his children had weaker blood, and on and on the bloodline deteriorated until it came to Eranmil. He was ashamed of his bloodline. A few times in his life he had to go with his parents to the Gold Coast in Cyrodiil, where he met the Imperials who he shared common ancestry with, and to him it was disgusting. He had been given a surname that he did not want. His original heritage had come from mages of great power, and now he was reduced to a simple peasant among mages.

"I can't do this much longer." Eranmil told his parents.

His parents were always understanding of his situation; they had the same happen to them. Both of his parents were of weak bloodline. His father had the last name Luxen, while the mother was the daughter of a weak-blooded peasant. So they were the subject of ridicule among the city. The parents worked as servants in rich households, and they had to pray for their son to eventually get a job like them. Eranmil was not fit for servitude; he was too insubordinate. He was intelligent, but his genetics caused employers to look elsewhere. The class of his parents meant that, despite what they wanted, they could only afford to have one child, and they had to hope that he would be able to provide for him.

"They don't know you well. That's what it is. If they knew you, they wouldn't treat you like this." The mother said.

"Why did I have to be cursed like this? Why?" Eranmil cried.

The parents looked at one another lovingly.

"Like your ancestors Nerwaye and Sanctius, we married one another because we loved one another. While it would be nice to have a good bloodline, in the end, what matters is love. And we love one another." The father said.

"I can't get love without a good bloodline." Eranmil said.

"There's someone out there for you. There was someone for me too." The father said.

"Come on, enough on that; you'll get a job, I know you will." The mother said.

"Eranmil, your mother and I were talking. We were thinking about going to Cyrodiil soon, and we were wondering if you would come with us so we could all see our family again." The father said.

Of course he would bring this up. Eranmil could not stand hearing about the Imperial side of his family. Even though now they were in the Fourth Era, this Imperial side still remained connected to the Altmer side even though the family started in the Second Era. Even with the tension between the Second Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire, the Luxen family still remained united. And that was horrible. While on Alinor, the Altmer disliked the Luxen family for their weak bloodline, on the Gold Coast, it was quite the opposite. In Cyrodiil, the Luxen family was well-respected and known for great aptitude in magic. There were even claims that there was the blood of Talos in them too. And every time that Eranmil went to Cyrodiil, he looked at his distant family with envy; they had money, good lives, beautiful wives, and that was something he could never get. A trip to Cyrodiil was the last thing he needed.

"How would we even get there?" Eranmil asked.

"Like we always do. They always bring us a boat and take us there." The mother said with a smile.

"Why would they do that? Why don't they just forget about us?" Eranmil asked.

"Because we're family. And the boat isn't an inconvenience to them; they bring Imperial cargo and sell it, and load up with Altmeri cargo and take us. It works out very well." The father said.

"I know it's not far in advance, but I was told that the ship would be here next week. We aren't going to force you to go if you don't want to, but we'd appreciate it if you went to go see your family with us." The father added.

"We're lucky to have a family that loves you as much as we do." The mother said.

"What is it that they see in me?" Eranmil asked.

"You're part of their family. I know that they're all very distant relatives now, but we're still part of their family." The mother said.

"I know that they would be able to find you a nice wife." The father added.

"An Imperial one! I don't want an Imperial wife! I'm Altmer." Eranmil said.

"We know…" The mother said.

Eranmil sighed.

"Okay, I'll think about it. I might go. But I'm just going to go to bed." Eranmil said, walking to his small room in the house.

"Make sure to say your prayers before you sleep. Ask Magna-Sola for a job; she would be more than willing to help." The mother said.

Eranmil sighed again. His parents always wanted him to pray. He was fine with Auri-El, but there was a picture of a woman hanging in their house. The father said the woman was called Sola Auroron, and that she was the sister of Nerwaye, who also had a portrait in their house. The father always told the story about how Sola went and ascended past morality, and how she became the star Magna-Sola, and then when Tiber Septim came to conquer, she receded into her realm, and the star Magna-Sola disappeared. The father pointed that to be how noble they were; they had an ascended being in their family, and in addition, their Imperial side had a bit of Tiber Septim in them.

Eranmil heard of Magna-Sola far too often. All the times as a child he had prayed to her and never received an answer, and all of those times that he thought of her as an aunt. Now, to him, she was nothing but a legend and a picture on a wall. He figured that if she had as much power as he had been told, Magna-Sola would never let a member of her family suffer, and that brought his mind to his Imperial family, and how, with all their money, they should not let their family on Alinor suffer.

He tried to sleep, he really did, but now, Eranmil had more than enough of the discrimination. He needed to find a way to get gold to support his parents for when they got to be too old to work. And at the moment, he had almost no gold saved up, and what little he had was certainly saved up, but it was still not enough to support his children. Today, he hoped to remedy that.

Eranmil waited until his parents slept, then left the house and decided to walk around his neighborhood. His neighborhood was dirty and disgusting. There was excrement in the streets, and the whole area smelled; he lived in the area where the migrant Argonian and Khajiit workers lived. He figured with his supposed divine ancestry, that he should live in a mansion like his family on the Gold Coast, that he should not have to worry about what to eat or drink, or worry about anything. And still, right in the front of his mind was his Imperial family, and how they never helped out him or his parents.

He walked to the nice part of Cloudrest, where he often frequented to beg for work as a servant. He passed by the mansion where his parents worked at, and he looked at it angrily. He walked to another large house close by, hopped the fence that protected it, and went to the front door.

He needed to provide for his family, by any means possible. Eranmil took out his dagger and he picked the lock on the door; a skill he had learned from the local Khajiit. He silently opened the door and entered the house. It was full of nice items, such as silverware, porcelain plates, busts of important people, and all manner of fineries. The Thieves' Guild would pay well for good items, and Eranmil would get his gold.

He went into the kitchen and opened the drawers, and stuffed his pockets full of silverware. He then reached into a cupboard and grabbed fine plates. From there, he set his eyes on a bottle of fine wine and a pie that was cooling down. He grabbed both of them, and turned around to leave.

Eranmil faced a young Altmer woman who was standing there. She was wearing a fine spidersilk nightgown, and had a gold ring on her left ring finger. She was very young and beautiful, and it was obvious that she had just gotten married. In fact, Eranmil remembered her. She had actually just gotten married to the son of a noble. The noble that Eranmil's parents worked for. His parents had always been very outspoken when it came to their employers; they praised them for being nice and good people. Eranmil actually attended the wedding of the young girl, although surely she did not recognize him. He remembered the wedding because he got to eat cake and drink wine, something which he rarely did. The young woman stared at him blankly, it being obvious she was barely awake. Eranmil took this as his cue to leave, so he bolted off. In the distance, he heard a scream, yelling 'thief'.

He ran towards a specific cistern. He knew it as being the one where the Thieves' Guild operated out of. On and on he sprinted, occasionally checking behind himself to ensure there was nobody pursuing. He was making good time, and he had a load of items that would both feed him and give him some money. Of course, this was his first time actually stealing. His parents had always taught him to be honest and a hard worker, but now Eranmil needed gold, so he would steal to get it. He had been introduced to the Theives' Guild because several times he had encountered them around his neighborhood, so he knew where they operated. Sure, his parents would be very disappointed in his actions, but now, he felt a need to provide for his parents who had provided for him.

Eranmil made it in sight of the cistern. He sprinted full force, still having every item he had stolen. He quickly looked behind him, and there was nobody to stop him, and the same applied to every direction. He continued for the cistern, and when he got close, it was too late. In an alley, a guard had been waiting for him. There must have been a reason why Eranmil had not heard of the Theives' Guild for a few weeks. The guard stepped out, his shield raised, and he bashed Eranmil, and sent him and his stolen items flying back into the ground.

Eranmil woke in a jail cell. He had an immense pain in his chest from when he was hit, and only then did he realize the gravity of what he had done. He had stolen. There was no way he was ever going to get a job now. There was an Altmer prisoner next to him, a male. So at least he was not alone, which would be both good and bad.

"You've woken, I see." The prisoner said.

"What day is it?" Eranmil asked.

"Mordas, the eleventh of Morning Star, Fourth Era, year four hundred thirty five." The prisoner answered.

"Did you say the eleventh?" Eranmil asked.

"Did you hear me correctly?" The prisoner retorted

"I guess that means I wasn't asleep for a day." Eranmil said.

"What are you here for?" Eranmil asked the prisoner.

"Murder." The prisoner answered.

"You?" The prisoner asked.

"Stealing, I think." Eranmil answered.

"I just want to provide for my family." Eranmil added.

"I know you. You're that one kid with a horrible bloodline. Luxen." The prisoner said.

"I'm not a kid." Eranmil said.

"You act like one." The prisoner said.

"I'm not a fan of my bloodline either." Eranmil added.

"You've heard of your ancestors, right?" The prisoner asked.

"Of course I have. That's all I hear about." Eranmil answered.

"Tell me about them then." The prisoner said.

"Fine. Far far back, before Tiber Septim, an Altmer named Nerwaye Auroron and an Imperial named Sanctius Luxen had a child named Urcelmo. He moved to Cloudrest when he got older, married a woman with low blood, and the story continues on forever." Eranmil said.

"What else?" The prisoner asked.

"Well, Nerwaye had a sister, Sola, who supposedly ascended past mortality; I'm not sure that's true." Eranmil added.

"I know who you're talking about: Magna-Sola. There is evidence to say that she exists." The prisoner said.

"Where? Last I heard, there was the star Magna-Sola, but it disappeared after Tiber Septim came to Alinor." Eranmil said.

"First, Magna-Sola wasn't like a normal star. It was more like a...celestial occurrence." The prisoner said.

"How do you know all of this?" Eranmil asked.

"I was...emphasis on was...a professor at the Mages' Guild at Vulkhel Guard. I then got caught up with a woman, and as it turned out, she had a husband. He tried to kill me, so I killed him. Now, I'm in prison for murder." The prisoner answered.

"The Mages' Guild doesn't exist any more." Eranmil said.

"Has it really been that long?" The prisoner asked.

"It's just, if Magna-Sola really is real, she is screwing my family and I over." Eranmil said.

"How so?" The prisoner asked.

"The Imperial side of my family has money, power, and everything that you could ever want. We have nothing. My parents are servants, and I can't even find a job as one. While we're struggling to feed ourselves and have a roof over our head, the other side of the family has money, ships, and everything, but they don't help us out. The most they do for us is go pick us up when it's time for the family reunion; they send a ship, load it up with goods, stuff us on it, it we leave for the Gold Coast." Eranmil answered.

"Magna-Sola's just giving all of her favor to the Imperials, and not my family." Eranmil added.

"I see you assume that because a part of your family is successful, their success is from a powerful being, and not of their own work. I will admit that you and your family are at a significant disadvantage in Alinor, but seeing how your family is still here, it must not be too bad." The prisoner said.

"How do you even maintain a connection with a side of your family that shared a common ancestor during the Second Era? That's a bit of a stretch." The prisoner asked.

"It's interesting. My side is descended from the firstborn. He only had one child, a male, and everyone has only had one child, and each time they have only been male. Because of that, the one person who moved to Alinor kept his influence through his last name, and that falls now to me. Because we're the only ones outside Cyrodiil, the rest of the family keeps in contact with us. It is strange at times." Eranmil said.

"You have a very intriguing family, I will give you that." The prisoner said.

"You have no idea. They're too nice to us, that's the thing. A few years ago, when we went to Cyrodiil last, we get off the boat, and all of my cousins...well, very, very, very distant cousins, greet us. They instantly put mugs in our hands, and lead us off to their mansion. There, we get treated like family, and I still don't know why they'd do that." Eranmil said.

"Some of them said that if I couldn't find a wife by the next time I came back, they'd find a wife for me. They said that their sisters were looking for husbands, and they all wanted smart and tall ones." Eranmil added.

"Well, they can't be that closely related to you." The prisoner said.

"They aren't. But they're Imperials. I don't want to marry an Imperial. I want to marry an Altmer, but all of the Altmer that would marry me are of such low blood that is truly is embarrassing." Eranmil said.

"I'll let you have something I learned in life: never settle for less. You go right and find the woman of your dreams and marry her. You only live once, and you need to make the most of it, within reason, of course. Don't end up in a situation like me." The prisoner said.

"Well, it is getting rather late. I suppose I should sleep." The prisoner added.

"And about your weak blood. Once someone gets to know you, it won't matter." The prisoner said, standing up and going to the small barred window.

"What a great night. It's cool and clear. I used to enjoy these nights. Don't get yourself in trouble to where you can't enjoy nights." The prisoner said, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the cool breeze.

The prisoner continued to look out the window, then he spotted something. Something that even he had never seen. There it was: the celestial anomaly that was Magna-Sola. It overpowered the sky with its void darkness, surrounded by bright white light at the edges. The prisoner thought about it. He had read up on Magna-Sola several times, and never before did it appear so big. Before it disappeared, it was the size of other stars in the sky. He knew something was happening; there was no reason for it to be larger than Secunda and Masser.

"There's something wrong. I am going to warn you that something big is happening tonight. Quick, check the guards!" The prisoner said, ordering Eranmil.

Eranmil checked outside the cell, and all of the guards were gone. He turned back around to see the prisoner using his magic to cut a hole in the bars to escape. Using fire magic to cut, and then frost magic to cool down the hot metal, the prisoner quickly made a hole to escape.

"You need to leave. Magna-Sola is your ancestor, and this is your night. Remember this." The prisoner said, leading Eranmil to the escape hole.

"Go! Live your life well!" The prisoner said, lifting Eranmil to the window to let him escape.

Eranmil quickly climbed out of the cell and looked around. The sky had become pitch black except for a brightly shining aura that surrounded another sphere of blackness. There was no color except around the aura, and it was hard to see because of the perpetual darkness. In the distance, Eranmil could hear yelling and screams. Then, it popped in his head: he needed to go find his parents.

Eranmil bolted off to his house. Thankfully, he knew where he was, but getting to his house proved to be difficult. Everywhere he tried to go was either packed with fleeing civilians, or soldiers standing firm, waiting for an attack. Eventually, Eranmil made it to the path that his house was on, and it was blocked by soldiers, with swords and shields ready, and a few mages. Well, Eranmil thought they were soldiers. They were just the city guards who took up the position of a soldier in this time. Eranmil tried to get through them.

"My parents are over here. I need to get through!" Eranmil told a guard.

"Stay back. There are Daedra, and they aren't friendly." A guard said.

"I don't care who's over there. You're going to get yourself killed." The guard said.

"My parents would do the same for me." Eranmil said with finality.

Something resonated with the guard. He knew that was true, and he would have done the same for his children. He made his decision then. Even if Eranmil was likely to die, the guard would let him pass.

"Okay. Fine. Let him pass!" The guard said.

The guard opened their ranks and let Eranmil through to the other side. When he got into the empty street, the guards reformed. Eranmil walked the empty street to his house. While there were no Daedra present, at least that he saw, he did feel like he was being watched by a malevolent presence. But Eranmil had to be brave and ignore it. So he pressed on, to his house.

He opened the door, and it was dark. All of the candles had been snuffed, and all of the lamps were dark. Eranmil summoned a mote of magelight to light up the area around him. There was nothing special about the house; nothing had changed since he had left other than his parents not being home. He figured that before he left, he might as well check their bedroom to ensure they were not there.

His parent's bedroom was plain. One small bed that they shared, with a bear pelt blanket that was a gift from their Imperial side of the family from the wedding. There were also a few dresses, pants, and shirts in a small dresser. His parents lived such a simple life because of their poverty. Eranmil wanted so much more. After a quick search, he was able to see that they were not in there, so he turned around and left.

Eranmil turned around. And behind him was a beautiful Altmer woman, with bright blue eyes and black hair, complimented by gold-touched skin. Without a word, she grabbed Eranmil, putting one hand on his hip, and another on his shoulder blade, and kissed him on the lips. She smoothly caressed him, and she swayed while the kiss lasted. Eranmil was in shock. First, seeing this Altmer appear out of nowhere, and then her going right and kissing him. She then slowly started to lead Eranmil to the bed. In slow, smooth steps she walked, kissing the whole time. She gently set Eranmil down on his parents' bed, gave him a hug, and then got on top of him.

The kissing continued. Eranmil was thoroughly enjoying it, until a thought popped into his head. His parents always told him to be careful around women. His father specifically told him to be careful because some women were unclean. How sometimes they could get their partners sick. Eranmil knew that this Altmer wanted more than just kissing, so he was going to make sure she was clean.

Eranmil tried to peel the Altmer off of his face for just a second, to ask her a question. But, when he tried, he was met with an aggressive push, pinning him to the bed. That instantly told him something was wrong. This was her first sign of aggression, and despite it, she still seemed passionate and soft. He knew that something was up.

"No...no...get off...this isn't right." Eranmil tried to say, attempting to push the Altmer off of him, but she kept on resisting.

"It's fine. I'm clean, Eranmil. Just love me for one night." The Altmer woman said.

"Get off of me! How did you know my name?!" Eranmil yelled, gaining a moment of strength and pushing the Altmer off.

Eranmil blinked. What was a beautiful Altmer changed to a Dremora within the blink of an eye. Now, before him was a Dremora, a Seducer, who was trying to seduce him for some reason.

"I remember you, Eranmil. Don't be so shy, just let go." The Seducer said.

"You're a Daedra. I see through your illusion." Eranmil said.

The Seducer stared at him blankly for a second. Then, she reached behind her and grabbed twin daggers. She aimed for his stomach, but Eranmil was miraculously able to avoid the attack.

"What on Nirn?" Eranmil exclaimed in shock.

"I was so close." The Seducer said, preparing another attack.

The Seducer went to slash at Eranmil's throat, but he flashed magelight, blinding the Daedra for a second. He used that time to get off of the bed and try to disarm a dagger from the Seducer. But she caught his hand, and held it there.

"My, my, darling. You can touch as much as you like." The Seducer said, moving Eranmil's hand to her upper thigh.

Eranmil quickly used a shock spell to surprise the Dremora. She cried with pain when the spell ran through her. She then reached out with her daggers and tried to slash Eranmil. Eranmil, however, leaned out of the way, and avoided being hit. The Seducer followed up with a kick with her right leg. However, Eranmil squatted, and the kick failed to hit him. So, he stood up, grabbing the Seducer's leg, and drew it up, setting her off balance, and making her fall. Of course, the Seducer was well prepared, and when Eranmil tipped her over, she used her legs to grip Eranmil's head and pull him down with her. Eranmil's head landed between the Seducer's legs.

"Oh." The Seducer purred.

The Seducer prepared her left leg to hold Eranmil there. Then, using her other leg, she kicked him over and over with her heel. That continued before Eranmil hatched a last ditch plan.

"Okay...okay...I give up. I'm going to lose." Eranmil feinted.

The Seducer stopped, brought Eranmil up through her legs, and kept him there, and then she sat up and brought him in for a hug and a kiss.

"Don't worry, I'll make you feel comfortable before you die." The Seducer promised, bringing Eranmil so they could look into one another's' eyes.

Eranmil took this moment to attack. He prepared a punch, and punched the Seducer right in her mouth. It hurt his fist, but it surely hurt her mouth.

"Ow! That was a cheap shot!" The Seducer said.

The Seducer backslapped Eranmil, her gauntlets cutting his cheek.

"Okay, look, can we stop this? Please?" Eranmil asked.

"Don't pretend that you aren't enjoying this." The Seducer said.

"Now, where were we?" The Seducer asked.

The Seducer brought Eranmil in again. She lay of the floor, and brought Eranmil down, and started to kiss him again. Again, Eranmil had a last ditch plan. He went along with the passion. He slowly moved his left arm to her hip, and she certainly helped him do that. Then, Eranmil put that hand on her soft, warm, belly, which was exposed. He then tickled her belly. The Seducer stopped her kissing and twitched, but after the brief tickling stopped, she continued. Eranmil knew he had her this time. He tickled her with all of his effort. Then, the Seducer was caught in the superposition of being unable to act because of laughter, and being angry.

"Stop! Stop!" The Seducer laughed, Eranmil uncomfortably tickling away.

"Stop!" The Seducer sternly said, getting ahold of herself.

Eranmil prepared another punch. This time right to her stomach. The Seducer recoiled with the punch, and she drew her legs to her, which pushed Eranmil up. But the situation did not go as planned, and his face ended up on her breasts, which were, thankfully, still partially covered by armor.

"You just can't win, can you?" The Seducer asked.

"Is this what you do? Have sex with people and then murder them? Just kill me." Eranmil said.

"You're too cute. For someone like you, I go all the way." The Seducer giggled.

"Ugh. Why do you have to be so tall? This works on some people?" The Seducer asked, as Eranmil's hips were far from hers.

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, you are attractive. And in good shape." Eranmil said.

"Then why do you keep on trying to hurt me?" The Seducer asked.

"I don't want to die." Eranmil answered.

"I would bring you back with me as my...concubine...but then I'd have to share you with the others." The Seducer said.

Eranmil hatched another plan. He prepared to bite. He bit what part of her breast he could get. The Seducer instantly cried with pain. She then got her legs into another position, this time to push Eranmil away from her. She pushed him back onto his knees, away from her. She then followed up with a kick right to his chest.

"That hurts!" The Seducer said.

"I know." Eranmil said.

"Look, I'm not even here to kill you!" The Seducer announced.

"What are you here for? I doubt you want to seduce me just because." Eranmil said.

"I'm here to capture you!" The Seducer said.

"So...you weren't going to kill me?" Eranmil asked.

"Well...I was...but then I got new orders." The Seducer answered.

"You were here the whole time. How'd you get new orders?" Eranmil asked.

"The window, honey." The Seducer answered.

Eranmil looked at the window, which had open curtains.

"Do Daedra just watch this for fun?" Eranmil asked.

"I don't know." The Seducer answered.

"Well then...I guess I threw this chance away." Eranmil said.

"You did. Several times." The Seducer said.

"Um...how was this supposed to work?" Eranmil asked.

"We do things, and you fall asleep afterwards. I take you with me." The Seducer answered.

"It wouldn't be too late for that, would it?" Eranmil asked.

"It is." The Seducer answered.

"I'm sorry if I sound desperate. It's just that I can't find a woman to marry, I can't get a job. Everything. I might as well be cursed. I have horrible blood that runs through my veins, and it makes my life so much harder." Eranmil said.

"Oh...I'm sorry." The Seducer genuinely said.

"Yeah. I'm sure you are." Eranmil said.

"You think I want to be a Seducer? Wear this outfit? Do things like this? No, I don't. I do it because I have to." The Seducer said.

"Come on, let's hug it out, to things outside of our control." The Seducer said, putting her soft arms around Eranmil.

Eranmil hugged her. This Seducer may have just tried to kill him, but she seemed to have opened up. She brought Eranmil in, closer and closer, and she started to rub him with her legs as they continued to hug. She turned him around, so his back faced her front, and she continued to hug him.

"You're so warm." Eranmil said.

"I know." The Seducer said.

The Seducer had caught Eranmil in her trap. She stopped her acting and put Eranmil into a chokehold. With one arm, she was choking him, and with her other limbs, she held him down. For two minutes, she held him in a chokehold.

"I knew I'd get you! You mortals are always weak with something! You're emotional! You fell for it, you fool!" The Seducer laughed as she choked him.

"Oh come on." Eranmil said right before he passed out.

Eranmil woke up. His whole body hurt. His chest, his neck, his stomach, his back, and strangely, his heart. He was not chained up, and he still had his clothes on, and that Seducer was nowhere to be seen. Last thing he remembered was being choked to unconsciousness by her. That certainly was an experience. He looked around. He was in a room. It was stark white, and seemed endless. There was no end in sight. Eramil looked around a few times, and he was alone. However, on his last look, he found someone.

She had bright green eyes, very light-gold skin, and she was definitely Altmer. Her hair was bobbed to her jaw, and she had a black and white dress on. She was just standing around, and thinking. Eranmil's first thought was that this was another Seducer.

"Oh, great. I've been tricked already. You're a Seducer. Drop the act and let's get this done." Eranmil said.

"By the Stars, do I look like a Seducer?! What did I ever say to you? And don't go around trying to solicit me for sexual intercourse!" The woman sternly hissed.

"Sorry, ma'am, it's just that I had an...experience...before I was asleep." Eranmil said.

"Well, I figured your first words would be different." The woman said.

"So, where are we?" Eranmil asked.

"It's a long story." The woman answered.

"This is some day. From one prison to the next. At least this one's nicer." Eranmil said.

"Wait...sorry, it's just been so long. No...never mind." The woman said.

"Um...okay." Eranmil said.

"I'm hungry and thirsty. Any food around?" Eranmil asked after a moment of silence.

"Food. How I miss food. It's been a long time. I remember being on my period, craving Akaviri fried pork, and getting it, and eating it, and it was the best food ever." The woman said.

"Thinking about it, I sort of miss that too. Makes you feel alive." The woman said.

Eranmil remained uncomfortably silent.

"Anyways, Urcelmo, dear, there's no food here. I'm sorry." The woman said.

"Urcelmo? No. My name is Eranmil." Eranmil said.

"Oh. Sorry, you just look so much like him. Urcelmo was my little nephew." The woman said.

"Well, now that I know your name, I should let you know mine: Sola Auroron." Sola said, shaking hands with Eranmil.

Eranmil was starstruck. Before him, his ancestor Sola Auroron was before him. Quite literally, his family worshiped her. Well, at least she appeared to be standing before him. With all of the trickery of today, it was impossible to know for sure.

"Sola Auroron? I'm Eranmil Luxen. I think we're…" Eranmil started to say.

"Related. Sanctius Luxen was the last man with his last name. Was married to Nerwaye Auroron, I performed the ceremony, had children with her. Of course, let's not forget the bastard Urcelmo." Sola said, finishing his sentence.

"Well, nice to see one of my long-off nephews." Sola said.

"That's all? I was told that you had god-like powers...where are those?" Eranmil asked.

"God-like? They aren't god-like. They're impressive to mortals, but by no means on the level of a Daedric Prince or a Divine. Think more of a Valkyn Skoria, or Molag Kena level." Sola said.

"...What?" Eranmil said.

"Oh, and I don't have those powers. Magna-Sola has those powers. There's a difference, you see. I am Sola, there is Xinryk. The two of us in one is Magna-Sola. I thought I was Magna-Sola, but I guess not." Sola said.

"This is all very underwhelming." Eranmil said.

"You just came at a bad point. You see...wait...do you know the story?" Sola asked.

"Story?" Eranmil said, wanting more specifics.

"The story about my ascension to Magna-Sola." Sola explained.

"You just...ascended, I believe." Eranmil said.

"What did they teach you? Poor soul." Sola said.

"Well, I'd offer you the books, but I'm not in my library, and unless you want me to recite them, I'll just give you the run through." Sola said.

"Just fast version please." Eranmil said.

"I didn't just become Magna-Sola. I had to fight Xinryk, which is another story, also a love story, and in the end, I absorbed Xinryk, and I got his power." Sola said.

"So I figured that that meant I had full control over his power…" Sola said.

"...and you may be wondering what that was on Mundus…" Sola said.

"I am." Eranmil said.

"So...as it turns out, Xinryk had some power left to fight. He built it up over time, and just unleashed. He was able to overtake me, and bind my half in this prison, which is actually inside my mind. Then he attacked Nirn...again." Sola said.

"Very interesting." Sola added.

"If he had control of my body...he's probably being a conceited bastard and he's morphed my form into his. That means...well that means that I'm...my hair! I grew my hair for a good century!" Sola said.

"Well, it is rather short." Eranmil said.

"No. This is Sola hair. It fits me. Light, bouncy, soft, free. This is not Magna-Sola hair. Magna-Sola has long, flowing, elegant hair that goes down to my legs. He's changed me!" Sola said.

"That's...a lot of hair." Eranmil said.

"I loved it. I had nothing but time to take care of it." Sola said.

"But I also miss this too." Sola said.

"You're much more...eccentric...than I thought." Eranmil said.

"I figured you were one of those...mage types." Eranmil added.

"Well, when you've had nobody to talk to for twenty years, you need to talk to someone...so sorry if I'm a bit crazy." Sola said.

"You've been here for twenty years?" Eranmil asked.

"Yes. I can give you an exact time if need be." Sola said.

"So...how are you faring against Xinryk?" Sola asked.

"Not sure. Whatever happened just happened about a day ago." Eranmil answered.

"...Really? That damn Daedra's lost his edge." Sola cheered.

"He's spent twenty years trying to break through my wards." Sola said pridefully.

"See? I'm a pretty decent mage." Sola added.

"I put wards up when Talos came to Nirn. That's when I withdrew for safety, and put them up so he couldn't get through. Although I'm sure the Numidium could have done something." Sola added.

"Look, I'd really like to stay and chat all day, but at this moment in time, I'm really confused, and just want to go home." Eranmil said.

"What's confusing you?" Sola asked.

"Well, I have a bad bloodline, I miss my parents, I need to provide for them, and on top of all of that, I may or may not have a Daedric girlfriend." Eranmil explained.

"...What?" Sola asked at the last one.

"There was a Seducer." Eranmil explained.

"Since when did I have Seducers?! Closest thing I've ever ruled over that was a Seducer were clothes that I made and never used!" Sola said.

"And Seducers aren't actually attracted to you. Usually. They're often disgusted by mortals, like most Daedra." Sola said.

"And bad bloodline? What is this? Since when did you have bad blood? Just pull my name out, and that's plenty of good fortune!" Sola said.

"I live on Alinor. They don't take well to my family or I." Eranmil said.

"Summerset? Why? Your family moved to the Gold Coast after the war ended. I told him to move back." Sola said.

"They all know I'm part Imperial. I can't do anything. But the Imperial side of the family...makes me so mad sometimes. I think you're giving them luck or something. They have money. I don't." Eranmil said.

"I didn't give them anything. I haven't touched the mortal world since Tiber Septim approached Summerset. I knew who he was, and I wasn't going to mess with him." Sola said.

"That's another thing. I hear it said that they have the blood of Talos in them." Eranmil said.

"Get out! That's awesome! Talos was always a good person. He deserved to reach Chim. I would have loved to too, but, I mean there's only room for one successor to Lorkhan." Sola said.

"It's not awesome for me! The Aldmeri Dominion hates Talos! There was a whole civil war in Skyrim over it!" Eranmil said.

"The Dominion's changed a lot. Actually...the Dominion collapsed with Talos' empire. There's a new, fake one." Sola said.

"Yeah. I guess it really would have been nice to have some god-like power helping us out. I mean, you've missed a lot then, since the end of Talos' conquest." Eranmil said.

"No! I need to get out of it! I can't stay here talking to you all day. I need to leave." Eranmil said.

"Okay. I can get you out. But...you've stepped into something bigger than you can imagine." Sola said, changing her tone.

"I can't do anything from in here. And because Xinryk and I are bound as one, I can't leave. What I can do, though, is send you out. If I do that, you need to do something for me." Sola said.

"If it gets me out of here, I'll do it." Eranmil said.

"I need you to take this seriously. I'm not sending you to Summerset. You're going to have to go around Oblivion and find people. People that I know, and get them to follow you." Sola said.

"If you don't, it's very possible that the world is doomed. And if not by Xinryk, then by another Daedra." Sola added.

"Okay. Okay. What do you need me to do?" Eranmil asked.

"I'm going to send you to Coldharbour. There, I need you to find two people, specifically in this order: Warden Vyrkyl, and General Xiv-Kha. From there, get yourself to the Colored Rooms. There, find a General Coloura. Then go to the Deadlands, and get General Hazryn." Sola answered.

"You said you can get me to Coldharbour?" Eranmil asked.

"That's the most I can do. If you need to ask me anything before, let me know. If not, I'll make the portal now." Sola said.

"Anything I should know about these people? Specifically where to find them." Eranmil asked.

"Vyrkyl used to be my top general. We always had a pact, where he'd watch over me, to ensure that Xinryk never gained too much power. If I was losing control, he was to go to Coldharbour and get help. Of course, he hasn't come back in twenty years. That means he is in prison, for having abandoned his Prince. I know which prison. But from there, if you get him, he'll know what else to do. So basically, just find him." Sola said.

"Okay. I guess it's best if I go now." Eranmil said.

Sola created a brilliant portal that glowed both black and white, and it lead to Coldharbour. Eranmil turned around to walk to it, still unsure of what was going on. Sola said one final thing to him.

"You're in my mind, so I know all about you now. I just want to let you know that it'll get better, and I've felt what you've felt. So don't think you're alone. And if it helps, I'll be rooting for you." Sola said, not talking about the invasion going on.

"Thanks." Eranmil said, leaving through the portal.

The portal ended in Coldharbour. Eranmil looked around the bleak surroundings. He quickly prepared an invisibility spell to hide himself from any guards, but for some reason, he saw no guards around. So he kept the spell ready to cast just in case. He walked around the bleak prison. It was run down, and there were Dremora prisoners walking about. They did nothing about him, and paid no attention to Eranmil. Eranmil had no idea what was going on, so he decided to ask for help.

"Excuse me. I need help." Eranmil asked a Dremora prisoner.

"What is it?" The Dremora prisoner quickly asked.

"I need to find Warden Vyrkyl. Can you help me?" Eranmil asked.

"The Warden? Oh how far he's fallen. Check the prison yard, mortal." The Prisoner answered.

Eranmil had no idea where the prison yard was, but he figured that the prisoner did not want to answer that question. So he decided to walk around until he found it. A few minutes later, he found the prison yard. There were several Dremora, male and female, cracking away at massive geodes. They were making soul gems. None of the prisoners were chained, but they were all working very hard.

"Um...can I find a Warden Vyrkyl here?" Eranmil asked all the prisoners at once.

There was a silence.

"Over here." Vyrkyl said after a minute.

"What is it, mortal?" Vyrkyl asked.

"I was told to find you." Eranmil asked.

"You look like the little mortal. Did Magna-Sola tell you that?" Vyrkyl asked immediately.

"No." Eranmil said.

"I know her better than you. She did." Vyrkyl said.

"Anyways. I was told to find you." Eranmil said.

"I guessed. So. I guess I should get the bad news out of the way. General Xiv-Kha is not coming. He is in very big trouble, and he is never leaving the watchful eye of Molag Bal. The only reason I am is because I am not bound to him anymore." Vyrkyl said.

"So. The Deadlands then. Let's get that out of the way." Eranmil said.

"Ah. Another problem there. General Hazryn is never leaving the Deadlands. Needless to say, the failed 'Oblivion Crisis' has made Mehrunes Dagon very angry with his generals." Vyrkyl said.

"Well, this is going faster than I thought." Eranmil said.

"The Colored Rooms it is then. We do, however, have to find a way to get there." Vyrkyl said.

"You have an idea, hopefully." Eranmil said.

"Ah, even Molag Bal cannot rid the pestilence that is Meridia from his own realm. Still, her Hollow City remains. There, we can go to the Colored Rooms." Vyrkyl said.

"But one problem remains: the Hollow City is guarded both by Molag Bal's Dremora, and Meridia's followers. If either see us approach, we will likely be struck down. That poses two problems. First, you are a mortal, and that will be the end of you. Second, I am bound to Xinryk now, and I will reappear there." Vyrkyl added.

"Well, do we really have another choice?" Eranmil asked.

"No." Vyrkyl answered.

They left the prison. Eranmil was expecting a grand adventure across Coldharbour, coupled with hardships, beautiful views, and personal conversations. As it turned out, Vyrkyl hated talking with mortals, and he was in a hurry, so there was no time to enjoy the scenery. In addition, the 'grand adventure' was not so grand. In the matter of what seemed like a few hours, the two were already outside of the gates of the Hollow City.

The Hollow City was in all its glory. There, that one city that withstood again Molag Bal's Planemeld, and was a thorn in his side. Here, centuries ago, mortals had used the city as a base of operations before they assaulted Molag Bal himself and left him in a weakened state.

"This is where it all happened." Eranmil said in awe.

"Yes. Yes. Many mortals fought here. Who cares? Obviously their sacrifices won't matter much if we don't finish our job." Vyrkyl said.

Vyrkyl grabbed a hammer he had found on his way to the Hollow City. He slammed it against the massive gates, the attack making a sizeable noise, resonating throughout the air.

"Open up!" Vyrkyl ordered, continuing his knocking.

The doors slowly opened. As they opened, the two could plainly see soldiers of Meridia who were waiting for them, already armed and armored, and ready to fight. They did not look friendly or happy to see this distraction. They stood in stark white armor and stood with shields on their left and swords on their right, ready to strike.

"State your business here." A Meridian soldier ordered.

"Let me in. I have important business here." Vyrkyl said.

"We have a strict policy against letting in Dremora. Go away before we attack." A soldier said.

"I am no mere Dremora." Vyrkyl said.

"I serve Magna-Sola, and by her power, I demand to be let in." Vyrkyl said.

There was muttering about the soldiers. They seemed to be unsure on what to do.

"Magna-Sola? Prove it." A soldier said.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Vyrkyl asked.

"That's up to you." Another soldier said.

"...I can't. Just take it on faith. I don't think Molag Bal even knows who Magna-Sola is." Vyrkyl said.

After a few more minutes of a tenuous standoff, the tension was relieved. There was an officer here to deal with the situation.

"What is going on here?" The officer asked.

"We have a Dremora claiming to be a servant of Magna-Sola here." A soldier answered.

"Ah…" The officer said.

"I'm her general! I'm not a mere servant." Vyrkyl corrected.

"There is a sensitive situation that I would not like to discuss with anyone." Vyrkyl added.

"Who is the boy?" The officer asked.

"One of my Lady's far off relatives. He is with me." Vyrkyl answered.

"What do you need to do here?" The officer asked.

"I need to go to the Colored Rooms and find General Coloura." Vyrkyl answered.

There was another silence before someone spoke again.

"I don't have all of my life. I have a time constraint." Vyrkyl said.

"Okay, but you need to follow me and keep your eyes forward." The officer said.

The officer led the two of them through the Hollow City. It looked just as the paintings showed. The massive church to Meridia in the center. The church where they were going. After the officer led them to the top of the steps, he went into the sanctuary and locked Vyrkyl and Eranmil out. A few minutes later, he stepped on out.

"Go on in." The officer said.

Vyrkyl and Eranmil stepped into the sanctuary. The door closed behind them. Inside the bright, white room accented by stained glass, was General Coloura, her helmet off and a sword at her side. She stood straight, her blonde hair running over one of her blue eyes. She carefully moved her hair out of her line of sight, and laid her eyes upon Vyrkyl.

"Dremora, cut the act. You don't serve this 'Magna-Sola'." General Coloura said.

"Ah...General, you don't remember." Vyrkyl said.

"Remember what? I have a good memory." General Coloura asked.

"I am Warden-General Vyrkyl, second to Our Celestial Lady Magna-Sola." Vyrkyl said with a bow.

"And…" General Coloura said.

"Perhaps you remember me as Warden Vyrkyl, servant to Sola Auroron, all that time long passed, in the demiplane of Xinryk." Vyrkyl said.

General Coloura took a good long thought about what to say.

"Ah. Xinryk. Both my military success and embarrassment." General Coloura said.

"It indeed has been a long time." General Coloura said.

"You may not know this, but my Lady Sola became Magna-Sola, as if the name was not enough. Sola and Xinryk combined. We thought they had merged to one, but it turned out they were still separate to some extent. Xinryk seized control. He is now attempting to invade Nirn again, and presumably continue his old plan." Vyrkyl said.

"What are you here for? You are no news crier." General Coloura coldly asked.

"Magna-Sola begged for your help. She said that you are familiar with the terrain, and how Xinryk works. She asked for you to provide fighters to help put down the insurrection." Vyrkyl answered.

"A lot has changed since the Planemeld." General Coloura said.

"A lot." General Coloura emphasized.

"This isn't up to me. My Lady Meridia knew what you were here for. She said no. I can't help you." General Coloura said.

"The Colored Rooms lie behind you. Go and ask Merid-Nunda to reconsider." Vyrkyl said.

"If it makes you feel any better, I will." General Coloura said, taking the brilliant portal behind her.

There was a moment of silence between Eranmil and Vyrkyl.

"How's it looking?" Eranmil asked.

"Not good." Vyrkyl answered.

"If we don't get help from her, there is one last thing we can do." Vyrkyl added.

"So, are you going to tell me about what happened. I feel left out." Eranmil said.

"When we take back Xinryk, ask Sola to read them to you. She'll tell you the whole story." Vyrkyl said.

"She was rather strange when I talked to her." Eranmil said.

"Of course. She's been imprisoned for a while. She needs to socialize. I'm surprised how well she did when she had to withdraw from Nirn." Vyrkyl said.

"I was always worried about her. Taking up the mantle of a powerful Daedra is no easy task. Thankfully, she was always a bit better fit for something like that. Call me nostalgic, but I remember those days. She'd stare into me with those bright green eyes, and release a deadly shock spell. Whenever I saw that, I knew there was something more to her. You could see it in her." Vyrkyl said.

"She was but a child when she left home. I met her soon afterwards. I watched her grow into a strong mortal, and eventually into something much more." Vyrkyl added.

"For a Daedra, you seem to think highly of a mortal." Eranmil said.

"I used to not. I hated serving her at first. I was, of course, committed to do her bidding, but I hated it. Eventually though, I figured out that she had something special about her. I watched her vainly try to help her sister, bridge relationships; I saw her in her highs and lows. You know someone that well, and you think highly of them." Vyrkyl said.

"Was there ever...anything more?" Eranmil asked a bit nervously.

"You obviously don't know the first thing about Dremora anatomy. She was my master, and more importantly, my friend." Vyrkyl said.

General Coloura emerged back from the portal. Her hands were clasped behind her back.

"I tried. She said no. I can't help." General Coloura said.

Something set Vyrkyl off. He had a hunch that General Coloura was not giving this the effort it deserved. He had gotten angry at her. And while it may not be the best for him to yell at her, that was what he did.

"You liar! You don't care about us!" Vyrkyl yelled.

"Excuse me?" General Coloura asked angrily.

"You are going to damn the Mundus. Enjoy your decision." Vyrkyl said.

"Leave. Now. You aren't welcome here." General Coloura said.

Vyrkyl and Eranmil quickly left. They sat down on the shores of a pond of azure plasm, to discuss their next moves. Still in the background, the Hollow City loomed.

"Now what?" Eranmil asked.

"We need to return to Xinryk. That is all there is. We hope for the best." Vyrkyl answered.

"That's all? No grand plan? No backup?" Eranmil asked.

"There is a backup. But I'm not sure how well it'll go. I'm no mage. Sola is a good mage, me, not so much." Vyrkyl answered.

"How are we getting back?" Eranmil asked.

"We need to return to Nirn. From there, we are going to have to go in the same way the soldiers come out." Vyrkyl answered.

"How are we getting to Tamriel?" Eranmil asked.

"Eranmil, if that is your name, something I want you to know is that everything here has been planned out in advance. It may seem as if we are playing it by ear, but it is quite the opposite." Vyrkyl said.

"I have a way." Vyrkyl said with a laugh.

"There you are." General Coloura said, yelling from a distance.

"I told you." Vyrkyl said, joining up with General Coloura.

The three of them met. General Coloura was outside of her bastion, and seemed willing to help now, at least more than she was before.

"Okay, I can't help much. I'll do one thing for you: send you to Nirn." General Coloura said.

"That would be appreciated." Vyrkyl said.

"But with one string: make sure that you finish what we started." General Coloura said, creating a brilliant, white, portal.

Vyrkyl and Eranmil traveled through the portal. They emerged on a dry beach with water closeby. There was nothing there, no life, nothing at all. Vyrkyl, however, quickly knew what to do.

"Where are we?" Eranmil asked.

"Sola used this place as a hideout during Xinryk's invasion. That was a long time ago, but before she left Nirn, she buried something here. Something that will get us to her." Vyrkyl said, starting to dig with his hands.

Vyrkyl dug with his hands into the soft sand. He quickly made a sizable hole before reaching a stone. He quickly dug around the stone and pulled it out. It looked just like a normal stone. Vyrkyl quickly removed as much dirt from it as he could. He even took it to the nearby beach to wash it off. After his cleaning, he sat the stone down in front of Eranmil.

"We have what we need, in perfect condition." Vyrkyl said.

Vyrkyl knelt down on his knees. He covered the stone with both of his hands and prayed. Eranmil tried to listen to what was being said, but Vyrkyl was being too silent; his words were not decipherable. As Vyrkyl continued to pray, the stone started to shake. It started to create a constant buzzing before Vyrkyl stopped it by holding it into the sand. Then, Vyrkyl grabbed the stone, and smashed it into the ground with all of his effort. It crumbled into countless pieces of dust. It's remnants floated about for a few seconds before they coagulated. In that moment, it became a portal that shone with a brilliant white light.

"Away we go." Vyrkyl said, going through the portal.

Eranmil followed. They emerged in some countryside. From the smoke in the background, and the tall towers, Eranmil knew they were close to Cloudrest. The sky was a deep, dark black, with a massive ring of light harshly shining upon the ground. This was Magna-Sola, her star. It looked like the center of it had been cut out, leaving only a little bit of the pure light behind, and the rest was filled by utter darkness. The sky was completely dark except for the remnants of Magna-Sola. Even Secunda and Masser, and the constellations had disappeared from the sky. The world seemed so dark and empty that it was almost unbearable, as if the gods had damned them, as if there was no hope.

Eranmil, however, had trouble taking in everything. He needed sleep. All of the adventure and being up for a long time had made him grow tired. He was not able to focus as Vyrkyl swiftly moved about the countryside. Eventually, Eranmil had to say something before he collapsed of sleep.

"Sir, can we wait?" Eranmil asked, dragging his feet.

"For what?" Vyrkyl asked.

"I'm tired. I need to sleep." Eranmil answered.

"You mortals waste so much time sleeping. A third of your lives or more. Such a waste for a limited being. You must stay awake." Vyrkyl said.

"I can't go on." Eranmil said, walking to a tree and collapsing under it.

"Every moment that passes by makes the situation more and more dire! You want to put this off, but you can't! Magna-Sola would have, and is, working tirelessly to fix this, and you, her family, are not willing to put your share in! You cannot stand idly by now. When you were captured, you became a piece in something much larger than you can imagine. And I need you to do as I say." Vyrkyl said.

"Give me a few hours. I need to sleep. This isn't a want, it's a need. To give you an idea, I would love to have my family back at my house, and me there too. I'd love to go back to not having a job, wife, children, or anything! It's better than this is going to be, but I can't help if I can't act. I need sleep." Eranmil said.

"You've made your point. I will let you rest, but if we fail because you needed sleep, well let's just hope Sola is still around so you can explain it to her." Vyrkyl said.

Eranmil shut his eyes to sleep. The last thing he saw was Vyrkyl walking off into the woods. Eranmil finally got some well needed sleep. But with his luck, it was not the sleep he wanted. He was having a dream. Sola was there, getting water from the well outside Eranmil's house. She went to go walk back inside of the house, but whenever she took a step, she went nowhere. It was one of those weird dreams that Eranmil did not want. The apparent paradox was very annoying, and it convinced him that it was a dream, and in that moment, Eranmil awoke, frustrated at Sola trying to walk and going nowhere.

"What on Nirn?" Eranmil asked himself angrily as he tried to shut his eyes.

Eranmil's eyes could not close. He was not tired anymore. Vyrkyl was nowhere to be seen. So Eranmil just figured that he would lay there until Vyrkyl got back. Something told him that Sola would not appreciate Vyrkyl leaving her dear far off nephew behind.

Eranmil stared blankly at the dark sky. For a few minutes he stared, and then he heard a rustle. He was expecting Vyrkyl, but that would have been far too generous. At least Vyrkyl did not try to kill him. This time, that Seducer was there, trying to stealthily move out of the bushes. Eranmil instantly knew this was the same Seducer who had tried to kill him earlier. To try and set up a trap, Eranmil closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.

"Oh my sweet, so peaceful in your final moments." The Seducer said angrily, moving towards Eranmil.

The Seducer kneeled down by Eranmil. He heard a dagger get pulled from a hilt, and he knew that it was time to execute his plan.

"I won't fail this time." The Seducer said, raising her dagger above Eranmil's chest.

She put her left hand on the back of Eranmil's head, to feel his hair, and so she could see his face when he was stabbed. She must have performed some kind of unspoken ceremony, because she seemed to be taking a long time to attack Eranmil. Eranmil however, reacted. His arms, which were at his sides, quickly moved to the Seducer's ribs in an instant, and he pulled her close, and she, being caught unaware, collapsed on top of him.

"Hey. How's it going?" Eranmil asked.

Eranmil tried to kiss the Seducer, hoping for the best.

"Not this time, mortal." The Seducer said, breaking free of his grip.

The Seducer quickly slapped Eranmil before she prepared to stab him. Eranmil would have reacted better if he could, but he realized that she had full control of both of her arms, and now she had a knee resting on Eranmil's right arm, and her left arm holding down his left arm.

"Not this time. Sorry. I would say it's nothing personal, but…" The Seducer laughed.

"Woah, hey!" The Seducer yelled.

The Seducer was picked up by her neck. Again, caught in shock, she did not react. She ended up dropping her dagger on the floor. Vyrkyl had grabbed her. His deep red eyes staring from inside his helmet, deep into the Seducer.

"Let go of me!" The Seducer cried.

"Help me, Eranmil!" The Seducer said in feigned desperation.

Eranmil got up to go help the poor Seducer.

"Stop right there." Vyrkyl warned.

"You're hurting her." Eranmil said.

"She was trying to kill you." Vyrkyl said.

"Let her go!" Eranmil yelled.

Vyrkyl stared at Eranmil for a second.

"You want to live with that decision? You won't." Vyrkyl said, dropping the Seducer.

The Seducer quickly dashed off and hid behind Eranmil, holding one of his hands as she whimpered.

"Who do you even serve?" Vyrkyl asked.

"I serve my Lady Magna-Sola." The Seducer answered.

"Ah. Of course you do. In all my time commanding her forces, I never saw we had any Seducers." Vyrkyl said.

"Who are you?" The Seducer asked, cowering more when Vyrkyl took a step closer to Eranmil.

"Warden-General Vyrkyl. You said you serve Magna-Sola, so you should know who I am." Vyrkyl said.

"I don't." The Seducer said.

"I see...then I suppose he had succeeded in brainwashing everyone again. The situation really has devolved." Vyrkyl said.

"What are you talking about?" Eranmil asked.

"When Sola and Xinryk melded, their superposition became the heir to the realm of Xinryk. Of course, it had just undergone a destructive war that left all the Daedra there filled with even more hate for the Princes, mortals, and Divines. Sola used her new powers to wipe the memories off all the Daedra, except for me, of course. That way she could start anew. It would seem as if Xinryk has done the same." Vyrkyl said.

"I don't know who Xinryk is. I know who Magna-Sola is." The Seducer said.

"Magna-Sola is both Xinryk and Sola. Sola used to be dominant, but she has been overtaken by Xinryk. I will say no more." Vyrkyl said.

"I don't believe you." The Seducer said.

"Then don't." Vyrkyl said.

"Anyways, we must be going. Find peace in knowing that you still have a place in Xinryk after this is over." Vyrkyl said, grabbing an axe from his side and approaching Eranmil.

"No! Get away! I don't want to get hurt!" The Seducer cried.

"Eranmil, move out of the way." Vyrkyl said.

"You've scared her enough. Just let her go." Eranmil said.

"I know where we need to go, and she will just alert everyone if we let her go." Vyrkyl said.

"Where are you going?" The Seducer asked.

"Back to your home. You should join us." Eranmil said.

"You idiot! You are caught in her spell! Open your eyes!" Vyrkyl exclaimed.

"I would love to join you." The Seducer said.

"I can help you get back undetected." The Seducer added.

"Would you be so kind?" Eranmil asked.

"I know what Sola would want, but she isn't here ordering me. Know that I can kill you." Vyrkyl said.

Eranmil gave Vyrkyl a wink. In that moment, Vyrkyl decided to try to go along with this plan that Eranmil supposedly had.

The Seducer emerged from hiding behind Eranmil. She spryly took the lead, and lead them towards a cave in a hill. Vyrkyl remembered it all. He remembered having to help conquer Xinryk, having to return to Coldharbour ashamed, and eventually returning to his master for service. He was not there when Sola and Luxen met by the cave, but he felt like he had been there. As they got closer to the cave, there were Dremora walking about, with weapons. It looked as if they had been leaving the cave, likely through the same door that once bound Xinryk.

They had to play the part. Of course, it looked like the Seducer had taken Eranmil as her prisoner. Thankfully, nobody gave Vyrkyl any looks; he looked enough like the soldiers. Eranmil actually played the part well, even with no need to bring a plan to him; he already looked enthralled by the Seducer. She held his hand as they all walked. She held his hand close to her upper thigh, and Eranmil was dragging along, bent over, his legs lagging behind the rest of his body. She eventually led them inside the cave. It was packed with emerging Dremora. The door was open, that door that held Xinryk back in the Second Era. It was wide open, and inside the room was a portal that led to the realm of Xinryk. The Seducer quickly pulled Eranmil into a crevice. Vyrkyl had to slip himself in behind her. Something told him that he already knew the plan.

"Okay, I think I'm ready for you." The Seducer said.

"Ready? For what?" Eranmil asked.

"You know…" The Seducer said with feigned nervousness.

"I'm right here, Kyn." Vyrkyl said sternly.

"I'm sorry, but we really need to do this. Tell you what, after this is done." Eranmil said.

"Now! I want you now, not later!" The Seducer pouted.

"Okay, okay." Eranmil said.

"You can't be serious. At the very least let me get out from behind her." Vyrkyl said.

Eranmil leaned in to kiss the Seducer. She passionately grabbed him, and he did the same to her. The kissing commenced. However, Eranmil briefly took a hand off of the Seducer, and he knocked on Vyrkyl's armor twice. Vyrkyl instantly knew what that meant.

"Your seduction is over." Vyrkyl whispered.

Vyrkyl flung himself out of the crevice. He put his right hand on the Seducer's neck, and pushed her against the wall. She took Eranmil with him. Eranmil quickly moved his hand from her hip to her dagger's sheath. He grabbed the dagger and passed it to Vyrkyl.

"What? No!" The Seducer cried.

"Just do it." Eranmil said, putting all effort he could to resisting the Seducer from pulling him back into her lips.

Vyrkyl obliged. He plunged the dagger right into the Seducer's forehead. The long blade entered her helmet, and went into her skull. Vyrkyl then took the bloody blade out of her head, and put it back into its sheath, and then laid the Seducer down, as if she was sleeping like a mortal.

"I'll give that to you." Vyrkyl told Eranmil.

"You tread a fine line." Vyrkyl added.

"You said you had a plan. Who says I didn't have one?" Eranmil said.

"Come now, let's finish this." Vyrkyl said.

They entered the nearby portal to Xinryk. It smelled of sulfur and the terrain was the same rocky land, with lava seas. Even Sola did not change that. But now, it seemed to smell worse, be hotter, and just seemed like a more unpleasant experience than normal. Vyrkyl certainly was embarrassed to show Eranmil this.

"This is her realm?" Eranmil asked.

"Yes. I know it isn't too impressive…" Vyrkyl said.

"It's certainly better than nothing." Eranmil said.

They both looked up to that one looming Tower. It stood as tall as ever, and as intimidating as ever. They both knew instantly that that was where they needed to go. There was no point in putting it off, so they started to the Tower. But before they could even take a step, in front of them, another Dremora appeared. He was hulking, massive, and in black and white armor. In an instant, Vyrkyl knew who he was.

"What on Nirn?!" Eranmil exclaimed, being frightened.

"Xinryk." Vyrkyl said.

"I see Sola is giving this her best shot. I would expect nothing else from her." Xinryk said.

"I know what you've been trying to do. Sola knows everything that goes on in my head, but it works both ways. I know every little thought of hers." Xinryk said.

"Twenty mortal years, Warden, twenty. You may have escaped my grasp, but not this time." Xinryk added.

"As for you, Eranmil, my nephew, I see you escaped her." Xinryk said.

"Your Seducer could do nothing against Sola's kin. They're strong minded." Vyrkyl said.

"She told me that it was her own error. How she should have stabbed you then and there." Xinryk said.

"Well, enough idle talk. I do not feel like waiting. Go, atop the Tower, where the Lady meets the Tower. My armies will not stop you. I will." Xinryk said, fading to darkness.

"Well then. This isn't good." Vyrkyl said, starting towards the Tower.

"He knew it all. He knows it all. Where can we hide now?" Vyrkyl asked.

"I figured Sola could hold him out. I guess their union permeated deeper than I thought." Vyrkyl said.

"So, you think we can win this?" Eranmil asked.

"Honestly, we've been outwitted. He knows what we're going to do." Vyrkyl answered.

"No." Vyrkyl answered.

"Then why are we continuing on?" Eranmil asked.

"You won't win any battles if you don't fight." Vyrkyl answered.

They traveled to the Tower of Xinryk. Before Xinryk's takeover, it was known as the Tower of Magna-Sola, where it brilliantly radiated white light on half of it, and dark light permeated the other half. Now, the whole of Xinryk was in darkness. There were still Dremora soldiers, marching towards the open portal that opened to Nirn. They knew who Eranmil and Vyrkyl were now, but they had orders to not attack. Instead, they uneasily let the two pass.

After a few hours, they had traveled to the interior of Xinryk, passing along all of the important battles of the past war. They came to the door of the Tower. The doors opened slowly. There was nobody in there, and it was clean. Vyrkyl had been expecting the Tower to be corrupted, like the White-Gold Tower had been corrupted during the Three Banners War. Perhaps that would have been better. To at least know that the place seemed alien. Walking up the clean, polished stairs of Sola's take of the Tower of Xinryk was far too homely for Vyrkyl. It would have been like going home to find your house robbed, only to confront the thief in your house.

As they marched up the steps, the air became more and more energetic. Magicka permeated the air as the floors got closer and closer to the pinnacle. The air was thick with magic. Vyrkyl would have been fine if it was Xinryk's dark magic, but it was not. It was that all too familiar, homespun, mutt magic that Sola loved. It felt like home.

They emerged at the top. It broke Vyrkyl's hard heart. Sitting on the throne where the Celestial Lady Magna-Sola sat, was her. Black hair that ran down to her knee on her right, and black hair that ran down to her jaw on the left, in brilliant robes of brilliant white, and void black. Those ever-so deep green eyes open, her gold-touched skin, her pink lips. It was all there. There was no denying that that was truly Magna-Sola.

"You have come here only to be smitten." Magna-Sola said.

"No! I will not be fooled! My Lady! We have a millennium of hard work that built one another into who we are today! Why?!" Vyrkyl asked, feeling betrayed.

"If it's any consolation, you were a good general and friend." Magna-Sola said.

"Eranmil, my nephew, come here." Magna-Sola said.

A servant set down a rug for Eranmil to sit on.

"You did all of this to prevent it, yet you've embraced it!" Vyrkyl said.

"Eranmil, don't be afraid." Magna-Sola said.

"Don't go. I don't like the smell of this." Vyrkyl said.

"Oh, Eranmil." A very familiar Seducer sang, sat on the rug.

Eranmil knew he needed to stay still. But he found his feet moving towards that comfy, soft rug by Magna-Sola's feet. That Seducer quickly dusted off a little spot for him as Eranmil slowly inched closer. He knew it was wrong, and something did not feel right, but it felt as if he was floating closer and closer. There was nothing Eranmil could do to stop himself.

"Not like this! I'm not going like this." Vyrkyl said.

"You are but a false projection of Magna-Sola." Vyrkyl said with finality.

Vyrkyl quickly charged a powerful spell, and shot it at Magna-Sola. She reacted instantly, and trapped the Daedric spell in a magical box. She then rotated the box around, and opened it. It fired back just as hard, right back at Vyrkyl. It impacted him. Vyrkyl recoiled back into the floor, and he heaved a heavy breath as he lay on the floor in pain.

"Eranmil, come here." Vyrkyl said.

"Don't let him win." Vyrkyl said with finality, giving a final breath.

If the stories Eranmil had been told were true, Vyrkyl was Magna-Sola's general. They were friends. Why would she have attacked him? There must have been something going on, after all, Vyrkyl did strike first. But still, Eranmil tried to think of what might be happening. Maybe Vyrkyl was trying to ascend Magna-Sola's place, and in reality, he was Xinryk. Or perhaps Vyrkyl was right, and the woman in front of him was truly Xinryk. After a moment of confusion, it was all clear to Eranmil, as it should have been. It was apparent that the Magna-Sola in front of him was false.

Eranmil never was a strong mage, but he would give it his best shot. Deep within him, the blood of his ancestors called out. For a brief moment, they would unlock the secrets of magic to him. The deep blue magicka in his blood radiated energy. Eranmil was filled with power as his hands radiated magical energy. He painfully put his two hands together and prepared to fire a mystical bolt of energy. In the back of his mind, something called to him. A woman's voice, she said how to cast the spell. She seemed so familiar. Eranmil followed her instructions and released the spell. Just as he released it, the woman told him it was to lash the soul out of the target. The projectile flew towards Magna-Sola. She smiled cruelly as it sped towards her. She put up her left hand to control the spell. But just at it was about to be blocked, something overtook the Celestial Lady. She hesitated for a second, as if there was some internal turmoil. The spell impacted her. Still, the spell did no damage.

"Weak mage. There is a reason why you have weak blood…" Magna-Sola laughed.

"Allow me to show you true power!" Magna-Sola said, preparing a spell of her own.

Again, Magna-Sola hesitated. She could not summon the willpower to fire her ball of light at Eranmil. There was something stopping her. She stood there, motionless, for a few seconds. Then, she cried in pain as a sight to behold came forth.

From her chest, a portal opened. A small one, but out from it came a Daedra covered in heavy armor, with an axe. He crawled onto the stark white floor of the Tower's pinnacle and stood up. Magna-Sola stood there, watching this happen, in great pain, before she finally refocused. Then, in a flash of light, Magna-Sola disappeared, and in her place, Sola Auroron was there, standing.

"Xinryk. It's been too long." Sola said to the emerged Daedra.

"I wish I could say the same." Xinryk said.

"What happened? What have you done?!" Sola asked in anger.

"I did what we both wanted. We always wanted something more. Sola, you always wanted more than this. I always wanted more than this. Magna-Sola wanted more than this. We have it in our grasp." Xinryk answered.

"Chim. You want Magna-Sola to achieve Chim." Sola said.

"Much more than that! We can take the place of Talos! We belong there, not him!" Xinryk said.

"That choice wasn't for us to make. It was predestined. Nothing could change it." Sola said.

"We can change it! Let me have power! Let us join together again, and we will be unstoppable!" Xinryk said, holding out a hand.

"No. What you are willing to do to become a Divine is far too much." Sola said.

"How did this even happen?" Sola asked.

Xinryk laughed deeply.

"You gave me a way in." Xinryk answered.

"You saw that mortal achieve Chim! You wanted that for yourself. You would do so much for that. Out of that envy, those covetous feelings, I had a way back in! You didn't see it! Over centuries, I slowly gained more and more power, and you had less and less. You did not see it until it was too late! You were oblivious! I had control a hundred years ago! You didn't see as I wiped the memory of the Daedra, as I trained them to become an army, as I prepared for war! Not even your friend noticed!" Xinryk said in pride.

"Is this true?" Sola asked, downcast.

"Yes! It is! I had become Magna-Sola instead of you! I ruled in your place, and you saw nothing until I trapped you in our mind! And because of that, I knew everything you were planning in an attempt to stop this, and I stopped you. I stopped you in everything but one loose end…" Xinryk said, turning to Eranmil.

"Mortals are always unpredictable." Xinryk said.

"You take one more step, and I will end you." Sola said.

"We're entangled, don't you see? You end me, and you end yourself." Xinryk said.

"I'm willing to accept that. At least I'll pass to Aetherius." Sola said.

"Then so will I, I suppose." Xinryk said.

"I ask you one last time. Join me. We can do this together. We can become a god. I will immortalize you as Magna-Sola, successor of Lorkhan, and the Duality of Light and Dark. The Celestial Lady, the ruler of men and Divine and Daedra!" Xinryk said.

"You will be much more than Azura, much more than Meridia, much more than Magnus. You will be omnipotent." Xinryk said.

Sola took a moment to seriously consider the offer.

"Your words are coated with lies." Sola said.

"So be it." Xinryk said.

Xinryk dashed towards Eranmil, to strike him dead with his axe. As Xinryk prepared his strike, he looked down to swing, and standing in front of him was Vyrkyl, his greatsword ready to block. Vyrkyl was barely able to stand; his legs were shaking, and his arms were moving about.

"Weak Dremora. You aren't fit to our service." Xinryk said.

Before Xinryk could strike, Sola launched a spell. A beam of pure light, impacting Xinryk. That was enough to distract him. During that distraction, Vyrkyl had collapsed onto the floor. Eranmil prepared to run off, and as he turned around, he saw that Seducer there. This time though, she looked as if she was not going to kill him. She quickly grabbed one of Vyrkyl's arms and started to drag him. Eranmil made sure to help as they dragged Vyrkyl off to behind a pillar. Afterwards, the two retreated to another pillar to hide.

"Fine! This ends here and now!" Xinryk said with anger.

"Best me in combat! Force me to your will! If you want to be isolated so badly, then you must silence me!" Xinryk said.

"But if I best you, know that we will become much more. But instead, the new Divine will be Xinryk, and not you!" Xinryk said.

"What other terms do I have to accept? Let's finish this." Sola said.

Xinryk charged. As he got within striking distance of Sola, Sola quickly detonated her magical aura, sending Xinryk flying back. He, however, recovered, landing on his feet. Sola quickly summoned a cloak of holy fire, and she started to levitate off of the ground. She then charged, sliding through the air, to Xinryk. As she got close to Xinryk, however, he rolled out of the way, and quickly recovered, and swung with his axe. Sola was able to avoid the attack by phasing forward. Sola then countered by spinning around, unleashing a brilliant, intense, beam of light, searing Xinryk. He survived. To follow up, Xinryk ran towards Sola, who stood there, channeling her spell. Before he got within her escape radius, he stopped for a second. Then, he stepped forward with his right foot, a strong step. He then stopped again, and prepared a swing with his axe. He swung upwards, however, Sola created a pit of darkness and dispersed into it.

Sola reemerged several meters away. She then changed the pit of darkness into a well of light, and ordered brilliant, intense light to emerge. Xinryk jumped out at the last second. Sola certainly looked frustrated after that. She then brought her soft hands, together, to her mouth, and kissed their union. She brought apart her arms, and set them apart, palms to the sky, arms outstretched. She then closed her eyes and channeled. In sync, seven beams of holy light shot down from the sky, burning the floor of the Tower. Sola then moved the beams about. Xinryk avoided being touched by any of the beams, and he was able to start approaching Sola for another attack. However, there was still a beam in front of him. Then, Sola opened her eyes, and quickly set her arms to be by her chest. Then, the beams grew more intense. After a second, they detonated in a dark explosion.

Xinryk emerged. He quickly approached Sola, and attacked. With a diagonal swing downwards, he struck, however, Sola leaned out of the way. Xinryk, however, fought back. He quickly swung upwards, in an attempt to pierce her with the point on the back of his axehead. Sola quickly put her arms out to try and catch the axe's handle. She was able to do so just in time. Xinryk, however, brought his knee to Sola's belly, and kneed her. She recoiled in pain. Xinryk brought up his axe to finish her.

Sola defended herself. She used her magic to send Xinryk flying, and her back. She pushed him away with a spell, but in doing so, sending her back. As Xinryk quickly got back on his feet, Sola took flight. She increased her magical power, and took to the air, flying above Xinryk, and above the Tower. She channeled her energy, and summoned a ball of dark magic, which she sent flying towards Xinryk. When it got close to him, Xinryk rolled out of the way. When the ball impacted, it exploded violently and loudly. Sola then charged at Xinryk from the air. She sped down, and before she impacted the ground, still with velocity, she pulled Xinryk into the air and prepared to slam him down. As she stuck out her hand to prepare the spell to slam him down, Xinryk grabbed hold of her. Xinryk then spun Sola around, switching their orientation. He then prepared to strike off Sola's head with his axe. Sola countered by continuing with her plan. She used magic to force her and Xinryk in opposite directions. Before Sola impacted the ground, she teleported, stopping her falling, and landing on the ground safely. Xinryk continued in the air.

However, he started to fall back down to the Tower. He aimed to hit Sola when he landed, however, she simply moved away, so Xinryk tucked himself into a ball and he hit the top of the Tower hard. He simply stood himself back up, unphased. He then charged at Sola. She prepared to fight. As Xinryk swung with his axe, Sola did a windmill to move the attack. Xinryk tried to strike again, and again she moved the attack. Several times the loop continued. Then, Sola slid under his legs, and forced him up into the air. Sola then phased above him, and forced him down. Then, Sola prepared a meteor of holy fire, and sent it down after Xinryk. When it engulfed him, he slammed back into the ground. He continued to lay there. Perhaps the fight had been finished.

Sola teleported onto the ground, and went to ensure Xinryk had been properly finished. She prepared a beam of dark light, but then, Xinryk surprised her. He grabbed hold of her and dragged her to the ground. He then pulled a dagger and prepared to strike into her stomach. Sola reacted quickly and used both of her hands to catch Xinryk's striking arm. She narrowly avoided that one. She was putting in all of her effort to hold Xinryk's arm. She then phased out of the hold. She teleported up into the air, and summoned ten balls of magic. Five of brilliant white, and five of void black. She sent them all around the little arena, each ball exploding when it impacted the ground. From there, Sola teleported onto the ground, her feet touching it. She stood there, her arms clasped as if she were praying. Half of the realm of Xinryk then turned to blackness, while the other half turned to white. As she channeled her spell, she let out a cry of effort. Xinryk covered his eyes at the brightness. Finally, she released. She purged. Waves of pure magic displaced through the realm of Xinryk. Everything became white for a moment, the purest white imaginable. Then, everything returned to normal. Still, Xinryk stood there, unharmed. Had Sola not constrained the spell to prevent Eranmil and Vyrkyl from being hurt, she would have killed them.

"You want to hurt me, but not yourself. We're one, Sola. There is no one without the other." Xinryk said.

"I have no need to put up a fight. You are not going to hurt yourself." Xinryk said.

Sola lashed out. She summoned two magical spears. One Aedric, and the other Daedric. One shone white, the other black. Using her practice in martial arts, she performed all flurries, attacks, and impressive combinations of strikes on Xinryk. But he blocked every single impressive move. Worst of all, it made it look like nothing.

"I had this all planned out! I could have killed you in an instant. I let you live because I needed you. It's all led up to this. This is the pinnacle, the climax! It doesn't get any better than this!" Xinryk said.

"But...after a climax comes a falling." Sola said.

Sola called upon every bit of magicka she had in her, which was much more than many mortals combined. Her body radiated magicka for a very brief moment. During that time, the air started to heat up, the sky turned black, and the ground started to give way. The Tower started to shake violently. Sola was overtaken by her magic. She started to float up, her head turned to the sky, her mouth went agape. A beam of light shot out of her mouth, and her eyes radiated light. Everything went dark except for the light Sola was giving off.

The darkness cleared as quickly as it had come. Xinryk had been transformed. In the sky was the celestial pair of Sola and Xinryk. The ever large star, Sola, radiating a bright blue. With it's pair, Xinryk, warping space around it, emitting white light in a ring about it. Xinryk was completely dark. It was possible to see Xinryk sapping light and matter from Sola. Two holes to Aetherius that made up Magna-Sola. About the dark expanse were the Constellations. All of them. All of the stars, planets, Magnus. They were all there, in that moment, watching this cosmic showdown. For that moment, they were the center of the universe.

Sola released her spell. A single ball of light, continuously changing between black and white. It flew to Xinryk, who stood on a pedestal of white. Xinryk did not try to do anything. He had accepted his fate at this point. He opened his arms to the slowly moving ball of light. As it got close to him, he touched it with his fingers. It then released. In a brilliant light show, it exploded, shooting light and dark everywhere. The realm turned to be high contrast. Above the Plane was now one star: Sola. Stronger and brighter than ever. The Constellations, planets, stars, and Magnus slowly faded away. The surreal experience became much more familiar. The colors became normal. Everything returned to the plane of Xinryk that was familiar enough.

Sola stood there, in her normal mortal form, and then she transformed in an explosion of light. Back into Magna-Sola, she transformed. She slowly floated back towards her throne. There was nothing but the Tower left. In front of her were those two: Vyrkyl and Eranmil. She had ensured that they would survive.

"My Lady, we can claim victory." Vyrkyl said.

"Not just yet." Magna-Sola said.

Magna-Sola let out a sorrowful sigh.

"It's all come to this. Nothing's been fixed. Xinryk is still a part of me." Magna-Sola said.

"And...I'm not going to make this decision. Eranmil, this decision goes to you." Magna-Sola continued.

"I underestimated Xinryk. I figured that he would be unable to affect anyone. I was wrong." Magna-Sola said.

"I have my own realm, servants, everything. It certainly is a good life, but now I'm forever burdened by Xinryk." Magna-Sola said.

"I don't want to live like that, but I will if I have to." Magna-Sola continued.

"Eranmil, I have a difficult decision to make. I won't make it myself. You're going to make it." Magna-Sola said.

"In me, Xinryk exists. He's a part of me, and he has been. There is no changing that. I know that he got the better of me, but next time, I think I can hold him back. And I'd still shut myself off from the mortal realm. But that's what I think. If you don't trust me for that, I have something you can do instead." Magna-Sola said.

"I've been here a long time. This has been a blessing and a happened to me when I was young; I never had children, got married, or anything like that. I've had to hide myself here to prevent conflict. Thankfully, the other solution I present to you is that you take up my mantle. It may sound like a big job, but I think you can do it. People don't give you enough credit, just like they did with me. You'd have everything I have, including Xinryk, and Vyrkyl to serve as a failsafe. I'd be able to live life as my mortal self again, which would be nice. Still, I would be a threat to Nirn. I would still have my massive magical potential, and I could easily take over Tamriel, and perhaps achieve Chim." Magna-Sola said.

"Which leads me to a final decision. I'm not sure if it'd work, but you could try to strike me down. Kill me. I'm still part mortal, and if that's what's dominating Magna-Sola right now, then if I die, I see no reason for me not to pass to Aetherius. There, I'd be able to meet up with Nerwaye and Sanctius...if you remember who they are. I'd be able to have peace. I think Xinryk would pass with me, which would mean he would still be a part of me, but I doubt he would pose a threat. But I'm not sure if it'd cause trouble in Oblivion. It might cause something dire." Magna-Sola said.

"Make your decision. Whatever you choose, I will follow it. You have my word." Magna-Sola said.

"My Lady, you don't need to worry. He will make the right decision." Vyrkyl said.

Eranmil thought long and hard about the choice. Magna-Sola was asking him on a decision on such a level that it was hard to quantify. He had the choice of power dangled before him. He was left with deciding to let Magna-Sola continue to bear her curse, have him take up her position, or eliminate both Sola and Xinryk, but with uncertainty in what was to come. Magna-Sola sat on her throne, tears in her eyes, as she covered her face so nobody would see her cry.

He contemplated. It did seem as if Xinryk was evil, so it would be wise to eliminate him, but then again, Sola was good. Would it be justified to rid the world of them both and possibly cause calamity? Or about taking up her place. Eranmil did not think he could hold back Xinryk. However, Magna-Sola had assured him that he could. And then, just leaving her as she was. Magna-Sola did not seem as if she was enjoying her power now, with the situation that had just passed. But it certainly was the safest route. But Eranmil would leave Sola there, in mental torture. After more contemplating, Eranmil came to a decision.

"Okay. I've decided." Eranmil said.

Magna-Sola looked up.

"You can hold Xinryk back. I can't kill you, and I won't take your place." Eranmil said.

Magna-Sola broke down in tears. She stood up, and grabbed Eranmil, and put him in a hug.

"I won't fail again. I won't." Magna-Sola said.

Magna-Sola peeled herself from Eranmil.

"Then I guess there are preparations to make." Magna-Sola said.

"Indeed there are." Vyrkyl said.

"I will keep myself away from Nirn until I am sure that I can hold him back." Magna-Sola said.

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Eranmil said.

"Then I suppose that means it is time to go." Magna-Sola said.

"Already?" Eranmil asked.

"Come, your effort is certainly worth a reward of some kind. Follow me." Magna-Sola said.

Magna-Sola went into her library, and grabbed a few books. She put them in a bag. She went to her armory, and grabbed a few blades, and put them in the bag. She went to her personal store of treasure, and scooped some gold coins into the bag. Finally, as a final show of thanks, Magna-Sola called upon her magic, and conjured a ball of pure white light. She solidified it into a small sphere, and put it in the bag. She then handed the bag to Eranmil.

"Thank you for your part in this." Magna-Sola said.

"As my final act, I will send you back to the Mundus. Where do you want to go?" Magna-Sola asked.

"The Gold Coast of Cyrodiil. I feel drawn there." Eranmil answered.

"Then this is where we say our farewells. Farewell, Eranmil." Magna-Sola said.

"Maybe you can come visit the family some time. They'd love to see you." Eranmil said.

"Maybe. We'll see." Magna-Sola said, opening the portal.

"Until then, Sola." Eranmil said, preparing to leave.

"Eranmil, good to get to know you." Vyrkyl said.

"Likewise." Eranmil said.

"You have a good life ahead of you. I know it." Magna-Sola said as Eranmil left.

Eranmil found himself in the sunlight of the Gold Coast. Before him was an estate. He knew the estate. It was the Luxen's estate in Cyrodiil. Something seemed different now. Eranmil was no longer ashamed of his heritage. He knocked on the gate. After a minute, the gate opened. Before him were two of his far off cousins, and their beautiful sister.

"Eranmil! Come on in. You're always welcome here!" The Imperial woman said.

Discussion on "One Final Adventure"

Just like that, we have the conclusion to the story of Magna-Sola. Xinryk had not been defeated; he lay dormant. He found a chance to regain power, born of Sola's lust for power, and he took that chance. Xinryk slowly worked his way through Sola's mind, and eventually overtook her. He invaded again, this time with more resolve.

Being part of Magna-Sola, Xinryk knew all plans that Sola had, and what her moves would be to stop him. So, he was able to counter her on every possible approach, but one, which came by chance. Eranmil Luxen, low-blooded Altmer, living in a pitiful state, brought an eventual end to the invasion. His capture brought him to Sola, where she was able to create a contingency to her plan which was unable to be countered by Xinryk. Xinryk's fall was caused by capturing Eranmil.

When Eranmil was sent to Coldharbour, he was able to call on Vyrkyl to help. The two were able to find their way back to the realm of Xinryk, and separate Xinryk and Sola from one another, where they collided in a final, celestial battle, which resulted in Xinryk again being subdued.

But the reformed Magna-Sola was left unsure of herself. She knew of the possibility of Xinryk taking over again. So, she left the most important decision to her family member. She gave him the choice to take her mantle, to end her outright, or let her continue. In the end, Magna-Sola was allowed to live, but she decided to again sever herself from the mortal realm.

And, finally, after all of the emotional conflict that occurred inside of Eranmil, we are left with a light, bright future for him, where he accepts his family.

I want to bring up how Magna-Sola has changed since she was last seen a thousand years ago. She has physically changed. We get to see her in both the form of Magna-Sola, and her mortal counterpart. Whereas her mortal form remains unchanged from the Second Era, her immortal form has taken on a much more dramatic figure. Magna-Sola has long hair, flowing down to her legs. She has fully adopted her powers, representing the dualism of light and dark. However, internally, we see that she is alone, and misses her sister. How, when she presents her fates to Eranmil, she mentions that if he takes her mantle up, she will become mortal again, and be able to do all the things she never did when she was mortal. Or how if he chose to end her, she would at least be able to pass on to Aetherius, and meet with her sister. And she implies, ever so slightly, as evidenced by her presentation of her fates, that she does not want to continue to rule as Magna-Sola, but she will, because it is her duty.

Sadly, with Magna-Sola having shut herself off from NIrn again, I cannot inquire her about all manner of topics which I would love to ask her about. Instead, I have had to make do with what I have.

First, I will speculate about Magna-Sola's servants. It is safe to assume that she inherited Xinryk's servants. We know that she used her power to wipe their minds, so she could raise them from the ground up. It just so happens that Xinryk did the same. How, within several years, Xinryk had completely retrained the Daedra without the head general, Warden-General Vyrkyl.

Something else: Magna-Sola's utter power. She set up wards to prevent herself from interfering with the mortal world, and perhaps to prevent Tiber Septim from attacking her. The wards were so powerful, that when Xinryk took over, he knew everything that needed to be done, but even then, he still took years to remove the wards, because they were that powerful.

There is not much more to say about Magna-Sola written in the texts. She was a very strong mage when "One Final Adventure" occurred, and all manner of things that I could keep on repeating. But quite honestly, they are just things that I am saying. They are just things that I read. I needed to get the first-hand account.

Something you noticed is that Eranmil is part of the Luxen family. So am I. In fact, the woman mentioned right at the end of the story is my cousin. How do I know this? Eranmil and that woman fell in love and got married, and I attended the wedding. Please forgive the fact that they shared the same last name; I can assure you that they are not closely related.

I wrote to my cousin Kena, and trust me, I know that my family has a penchant for naming their members after Daedra, Divines, and other powerful entities. She wrote back, saying that Eranmil would love to talk to me about his adventure, and his observations. He suggested that we meet in Vulkhel Guard. So I took passage to Auridon, and met him in a quaint little house on the outskirts. Mind you it had been a few years since I had seen Kena, so I was also looking forward to her. So when I entered the house, I of course thought it strange that I was on Auridon, not Alinor, considering the house in Cloudrest had been with my family since Sola bought it in the Second Era. I was warmly welcomed by a beautiful Altmer woman, who certainly had a good bloodline. I looked at her, and saw she was pregnant, and rather late in her pregnancy. She led me to a table, where Eranmil was sat, eating. I asked where Kena was, and if she would be joining us. He said she was at home in Cloudrest, taking care of her children, specifically her children.

At this point, I was appalled. That Altmer woman who had so happily greeted me was his mistress, who had his child with him, and I was in their adulterous house, waiting to interview Eranmil. There was no point in saying anything; I just had to do the interview.

I asked Eranmil about all of the adventures, and asked him to compare it to the book. He said that the book was accurate, to the word, and that before Magna-Sola shut herself out, she communed with Eranmil one last time, and he had brought a scribe with him, and they wrote "One Final Adventure" there. This is actually something that is great to know, that there is at least one book with a known author.

I then inquired how the whole experience had changed Eranmil. He said that Magna-Sola had unknowingly taught him a lot on how to live his life, how not to worry about a bad bloodline, because she had given up a good one, on how to live your life to the fullest, and not to worry about much, just how to live lightheartedly.

Eranmil went on about how when he saw Magna-Sola in tears, her life in his hands, and how when he chose to save her, he saw the superposition of both sadness and happiness, it showed him how everything is dualistic in nature. There is not one without the other, and Magna-Sola was the embodiment of that. That is what really changed him. When he found himself outside of the family estate on the Gold Coast, and he was happily greeted by his extended family, he realised that he was loved and had a place, even though it was not from Altmer.

He explained that while Kena may not have been an Altmer, which he said is the race he wanted to marry to in "One Final Adventure", that was fine now; his outlook on life was different. Of course, internally I was wondering why he had a mistress then. Then I got the answer why.

Eranmil talked about how everyone had heard of his exploits, and when he returned to Cloudrest after the adventure, he had gotten married to Kena, and the Altmer women were all over him. Now they realised what it meant to be descendant of Magna-Sola. Of course, Eranmil never told them that he was not a direct descendant, rather a descendant of her sister. Eranmil also said 'that it would be a waste to not spread my fine Divine blood around'. How the people of Summerset would become much more magically gifted, and all manner of talk excusing his infidelity.

I compared the Eranmil I read about, and the Eranmil I had met, and I realised just how much he had been changed by the Resurgence of Magna-Sola. He had become puffed up, full of tales and stories about his adventures with Daedra and immortals. They had made him a celebrity, and he had become quite wealthy, how, I do not know.

He went on and on about priceless artifacts of Magna-Sola, such as staves, clothes, hair, jewelry, and other carnal possessions he had been given by Magna-Sola before her exodus. He was showing off about it, and he did not understand the significance of the objects. I looked at the items, and one of the staves was the one that she used to heal the injured of Cyrodiil, how those clothes were handmade by Sola as a mortal, and they were still soft and comfortable, how that jewelry had been enchanted by her. But to him, they were nothing other than lures for more women. How he had given several things to his several mistresses. I say this as a member of our family: it was a waste. At the Luxen Estate, our artifacts of Magna-Sola are limited to things such as socks that have not been washed in a millennium, or bits of wood that she had carved. Eranmil was quite disrespectful of his treasures. But there was nothing I could say.

So, finally, I closed by notes and prepared to leave and start to compile this work, when Eranmil came up to me before I left. He told me while Magna-Sola may have left Nirn, he had asked her before her final departure if she would ever come back, and Magna-Sola said maybe, once she feels confident that she can control Xinryk now and forever.

As a final topic of research, I wanted to see how the Resurgence of Magna-Sola had affected religion in Alinor. In the Luxen family, prayer towards Magna-Sola was uncommon, but reverence and acknowledgement of her was widespread. I know that she was obscure until her Resurgence, so I wanted to see how that had changed. I ventured across Summerset, asking as many people who would answer me: do you believe the Celestial Lady Magna-Sola exists? Do you revere her? Answers from across Alinor had resulted to 'I believe Magna-Sola exists, I do, however, not revere her'. However, around the Cloudrest area, she had become a local deity of a sort. Often times, in shops, there were little wood carvings of Magna-Sola, but more often, her name was invoked as a curse and not a blessing. I had been expecting her Resurgence to be a momentous event that affected the religion of the Altmer, but it was not the case, instead she had settled down to be an obscure local deity, which is similar to how some Daedra are.

Conclusion

The Elder Scrolls have said "The Soulless One shall become the brightest of five stars". The mortal known as Sola Auroron fits the criteria. Through years of training, fighting, and conflict, Sola achieved her destiny of becoming Magna-Sola. She had defeated an ancient evil, and had taken its power. With evil defeated, she faced the possibility of competition with a rising force we now know as Talos. She stood down and fled, and then after the ancient evil took over her, Magna-Sola lashed out and attempted to conquer the mortal realm and ascend the ultimate throne of absolute rule over the Mundus. She was thwarted by her sister's offspring, and Magna-Sola's own general. After she gained full consciousness of her decisions, Magna-Sola left the mortal realm again, to ensure she would not be a threat.

Again and again, the star Magna-Sola had appeared and disappeared. Her actions are linked to the stars above, and when she returns, we will know, and we will be able to get her insight into the works that have left behind, the only ones that explain anything about her. Until that day, we all wait.

Sola's legacy had been left behind. She now permeates the Cloudrest area of Alinor, her sister's family lives on, and she has contributed to the literary achievement of the Second Era.

It has been an honor to hunt, compile, and give insight into Magna-Sola's achievements and adventures throughout the ages. It certainly is an interesting topic, although maybe a bit obscure. Still, if you ever find yourself in the Imperial City Library, do not hesitate to find me, and have a discussion about Magna-Sola with me. Perhaps I will uncover more information about her. But until something substantial comes about, I leave this work here for all to read.


End file.
